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Safiatou
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Name: Stephanie
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Birthday: 10/3/1984
Gender: Female
Interests: Jesus is pretty interesting ...gosh, after that everything else just sucks. well... I like being in Africa, I like doing medical work, talking with people, painting, holding hands, mountain hiking/climbing, going new places, cooking, reading, drinking coffee, gardening, learning, eating sushi (thanks Mir), old jazz music, doing random stuff in the middle of the night (everything's more fun if you have to sneak out!)
Expertise: Eating Southern food, dealing with Gambian men who "love me", being the eldest child, giving foot rubs (calm down, I dont give them to just anyone) and, uhhh...lot's of stuff.
Occupation: Student
Industry: Medical
Message: message me
Member Since:
10/4/2005
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Some times my friends break my heart because I care about them so
much. To have to watch some one I care for make stupid mistakes
that you know will hurt and destroy them. (okay, I know there are
people who feel and could say the same thing about me) and I'm
glad there are people who love me like that. Ughh, and I can
understand why you would do a lot of these things if you didn't have a
God like mine, and that just causes even greater compassion.
- com·pas·sion: Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.
Middle English compassioun, from Late Latin to suffer with
And then when a person does know Jesus or at least knows a
little about Him, you have this to consider: how broken and decieved
they must be, when they make such destructive choices. I can't
imagine how God handles caring so much about us, while letting us make
our own choices. I guess though, that He can help me handle the
little bit (although it feels overwhelming to me) of compassion He has
placed in me, and cause an effectiveness to come out of it, rather than
just a personal burden...
"Love
anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want
to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even
an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries;
avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of
your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless,
it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable,
impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." C. S. Lewis | | |
| been thinking about worship lately...and I read this somewhere, it says all the things I want to.
"...there is no such thing as 'giftless' love. The very words accuse each other. My gift to you is love, but worship is your gift to Me. And oh, most glorious it is! Worship always calls Me 'Father' and makes us both rich with a common joy.
Worship Me, for only this great gift can set you free from the killing
love of self, and prick your fear with valiant courage to fly in hope
through moments of despair. Worship will remind you that no man knows completeness in himself. Worship will teach you to speak your name, when you've forgotten who you are.
Worship is duty and privilege, debt and grand inheritance at once.
Worship, therefore, on those midnights when the stars hide. Worship in
the storms til love makes thunder whimper and grow quiet and listen to
your whispered hymns. Worship and be free." | | |
|  It's that time again!
Yes folks, World AIDS Day is just around the corner and boy am I excited. 
Well, on one hand I'm excited...me and one of my favorite collaborators
are cookin' something up for the big day. All having to do with
awareness, and providing people with channels for action and
involvement...or ideally to become creative on their own. I love
when people with different gifts and talents and motivations work
united under one cause. It brings so much more and offers a roundedness
to any movement. and So putting together info, and images
(you know me  )...has been a easy task because I feel passionately about the task at hand.
But then in researching and finding
images that capture the suffering, hopelessness, and sorrow that goes
with HIV... it's very hard for me. I mean I'm doing this in the
first place because God has made it a burden on my heart. I
always said "never ever will I work with and nurse people who will
surely never get well" and now...I feel like I may do just
that. At least somewhat...I dont know to what degree. But
gosh...it's so hard when you're looking at the suffering in people's
eyes...the hopelessness. It's hard not to feel the same
way. Not to feel overwhelmed, like judging by the prevalence vs.
the response... it's far too big for us. But one man said "We may not
be able to solve the entire problem today, but let us not be discouraged
from taking the steps necessary to begin the journey.".
And
better still the Bible has a lot to say in relation...like in James
1:27; 2 Cor. 1:4; Isaiah 40:1....and my personal favorite: Ps
82:3-5 "Vindicate
the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and
destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the
hand of the wicked. They do not know nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness, all the foundations of the earth are shaken."
Want to understand
better? here's an interesting
article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4317019.stm
I guess too that if we are always only tackling things that are doable
in our own strength...things that dont require any complete reliance on
God, we aren't going to get much done...especially nothing
like...ending AIDS. If we do what we can, God will do what we
can't. ...some one remind me of that tomorrow. I'll probably have
forgotton it.
leave me some encouragment! I'm doing AIDS research in the midst of PMS! those two acronyms do NOT mix well...
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Just a little drawing I thought you might enjoy. hahaha
Anyway I had a very fun day yesterday...I went fishing! We didn't catch
a thing of course, Dad got a bite, but it yielded nothing. It was
somehow still fun though. I haven't been fishing since this
summer in Africa. Gunda taught me how to catch big fish with a
net...she was crazy...she wanted her a fish lunch buddy, and she would
prowl through the river Gambia like a beast Look
at her with the net in her mouth! No...you haven't fished, until
you've fished for lunch with Gunda. Anyway, fishing with dad was fun
too...it's one of the ways we try to relate. Usually he's a man
of few words, but if you go out and do something he likes and knows a
lot about...ya can't shut Steve Beck UP.
I also went to the movies with my one
local friend Rachel C. (sorry Emily, sisters dont count...and you
have a boyfriend, so you double dont count) we saw Flight
Plan...and all I can say is Jodie Foster has looong been my favorite
actress, and she didn't let me down on this one (like she did in Panic
Room). It was a very twisty, arm rest banging, friend arm
squeezing, oh my gosh what's going to happen?!...kind of movie. I
recommend it.
Thank God for Rachel! but Rach is
only one woman...and she can't meet ALL my hangout needs. haha I
have to admit, last night, I went up to this girl who works in the
local coffee shop, who I usually have a friendly chat with when I go in
there for a beverage. Well, I realized how much I always hope
she's working so that I'll have some one right in front of me to talk
with...and I was thinking, "this is ridiculous...I dont even really
know her, she's just coffee shop girl, and I'm beginning to care about
what's happening in her life"
So yeah I did the sensible thing that I usually do.
I walked up and pretty much was like "Listen, I dont have any
friends...I know you dont either you loser, so give me your number and
let's start hanging out." Well, now I have her home and cell
number and I say home+cell+Steph's irresistible fun-ness= new
friend! yea!
well, I'm going now...peace out and have a great Friday!
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| Babysitting fun
So last night I babysat this little 3 yr old boy for a
few hours...it was the usual. I found myself playing with trucks,
fire engines, blocks (he wanted me to build them up so he could run
like an unstoppable giant warrior and destroy everything in his
path...fun times), we also went around the house with screw drivers,
and tightened everything that even looked like a screw. Then
after dinner (yes, that was just the before dinner fun) he wanted to
watch a video. He pulled out good ol' "Thomas the Tank Engine"
...I was trying to steer him towards Veggie Tales, I mean, cause
they're cool, but he insisted on Thomas. So I thought, hey
it will probably be 15 min long. "Sure, go ahead kid, pop it in".
Oh, but little did I know, that this was the "Thomas the Tank Engine
Movie", and we adventured in the land of "shining time station" for
over an hour. I shouldn't have fed him that ravioli, it gave him
gas...and every time he farted, he made sure he told me. but I couldn't
get too upset. Every time he tried to tell me he had "passed gas", what
actually came out of his mouth was "Stephanie, I pats ass!"
let me tell you...I had to laugh...and try to correct him of course.
finally though, I got to put the little whippersnapper to bed...which
lasted a good 45 minutes, what with 7 stories (that he swears his mom usually
tells him...sure kid) assuring him that his parents would be there when
he woke up, prayers, more juicy, and finally lights out.
but the best part, was that I asked him if he would like to say some
prayers too. he replied "I dont know how! I cant!" So I was praying,
but he kept "adding" things into my prayer the whole time. So I
said "are you sure you dont want to try? It sounds like you have stuff
to pray about. Just say the same stuff you're saying to me, but
to God, He's the one who has power to answer you. So he squeezed
his little eyes shut (cause that's important you know) and started
"Dear Lord...thank you for my friends, and help them to be good, and me
to be good. And please help my mommy and daddy to come home soon.
And please help me to have fun tomorrow...and please help Stephanie rub
my back now, Amen!" Ha...very clever kid. So I obliged,
until he was sound asleep. Got my pay and drove home. ...It
was worth it. It's nice getting paid to be a mom, I better enjoy
it while I can.
Well, Amy I hope you enjoy the new friends I made for you...I can't
help it if I'm an expert at knowing supa cool people. Rachel...we
need to talk about TGIT tomorrow.
alright, I'm out .
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