[Powderworks] NMOC raging against the world
Kate Adams
kate@dnki.net
Fri, 27 Sep 2002 08:05:16 -0400
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At 09:33 PM 9/27/02 +1200, Brian Jacobs wrote:
>>No, we aren't essentially good, and no, there isn't some "just God" in
the sky who will
>>punish the wicked and bless the good.
>Man, what a sad thought. I kinda feel sorry for you.
>BJ
I don't want to get into any debates here about the existence of God ...
I've got too much on my plate anyway. We all look for truth we can live
with, but it comes in different forms and we need to respect each other's
journeys as being valid.
Violence and insanity are the price we pay for sentience ... as complexity
increases so do the chances that things can go completely haywire in truly
powerful ways. But I disagree that humans act violently in contrast to
their own best interests ... they just do so for short-term purposes and
for their individual needs rather than our collective survival.
Regardless of your religious orientation, the best any of us can do is to
try to leave this place a little tidier than we found it. Chaos theory
holds that it is often small levers which can direct and control systems -
unmeasurable, imperceptable, often overlooked forces which are magnified
through cycles and iterations to create large scale perturbations in the
system.
If you pray or meditate, the energy you use to do so may be of those small
forces in the chaos. The work of Larry Dossey, who has researched the
influence of groups of people praying or meditating or ruminating on a
specific task makes me wonder this openly. If you do not seek a "higher
power" or even believe in an amorphous universal life energy as I do,
consider the simple possibility that small acts, not sweeping and grandiose
gestures, may win the day if there are enough of them and they are
consistently performed and applied.
With that I will attach the latest in the series of e-mails from a woman in
Ivory Coast. Linda Sharp, a close friend of my mother, has dedicated her
life to improving the conditions under which people in that country live by
establishing a clinic in a rural area and providing health care and support
for the local people. She may be fleeing for her life as we speak.
Please keep her chaos in your thoughts.
Kate
***********************************************************************************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com>Lincsharp@cs.<mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com>com
To: <mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com>Lincsharp@cs.<mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com>com
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 4:45 PM
Subject: Kgo news 9-26
Day 8 This has been the hardest day so far. We received word first thing
this morning that the American Embassy is telling Americans to leave CI
while things are somewhat quiet and that there are still flights out of
Abidjan. Of course I am 8 hours from Abidjan and one has to go through
Bouake to get there.
Robin just talked with our stateside boss. He said that they had
declared a 48 hour cease fire to permit the expats in Bouake to get out. I
heard on the news today that there were still either 1000 or 1500 expats in
Bke. Yesterday it was only the school that was evacuated about an hour
south of Bouake. They then continued from Yamoussoukro today to
Abidjan. They had hoped to get away by about 10, but it was closer to noon
when they left Yamo.
On Monday I had already talked with my department heads about what
would happen if I had to leave. So today I told them that we would be
leaving, but I didn't know when. We need to be ready, we could have as
little as a1/2 HR notice. And it is a real possibility that we can only
take 12 pounds.
We are ready to pay early, I wanted people to be paid before I left
in case things go sour quickly. So tomorrow I will make the general
announcement, that is if they don't pull us out before 8 :30 AM, the new
arrival time for work. With a 6 PM to 8 AM curfew, I have told my staff
not to come until 8:30. Then we will pay tomorrow as well. That way I am
sure that my staff will have something. And I praise the Lord that I have
enough to pay full salaries for both the dispensary and PSCD. We have ran
between 95 and a hundred patients a day since this all started. That was
enough to pay my staff salaries and what we had on hand before this all
started was enough to pay the rest and give Robin and I a little
bit. Since we don't know where we will be going we don't know what kind of
money we need. I am taking all the dollars that the dispensary has!
Market did function yesterday and I saw a couple of mopeds go by
with a couple of big sacks on each one, my guess rice. A fellow came from
the weavers village today. They are really hurting. They live on their
sales, mainly from tourist and probably pretty much hand to mouth. And of
course there has not been a tourist in the area for a week. The farmers at
least have crops that are starting to get ripe. they might not get to eat
what they like, but they will have something to put in their stomach. You
can't eat tablecloths!! The weavers are all Muslims and they are the ones
get hurt the most! And they say this is a Muslim north and Christian south
problem. HaHa.
I did make it up for lunch today, before everyone had finished
eating. Then I went back down to be with my staff as they left. We had
just finished praying when they brought in another patient. I told my
staff that everyone needed to stay until the child had been taken care
of. They were leaving early and being paid for a full day, so I didn't
feel bad about asking them to all stay. They are leaving as soon as all
the patients present are taken care of. And today for the first time I
haven't had a 4 PM influx.
As my staff were getting ready to leave they were saying that it
would be nice if they had something with a red cross on it, like Red Cross
has, so that they wouldn't get stopped. They had no more than left when 2
fellows from Red Cross showed up with a overshirt like thing with big red
crosses on the back and front. I then knew what they were talking
about. They had come looking for donations. All their free meds were
gone. I chatted with them for a while. According to them they are doing
all the health care in Kgo. They have an RN that over sees them and a
couple of Drs. that will come if they can't handle the case. They are
getting a number of injuries from stray bullets. Also wounds from these
kids who are shooting themselves with the guns that they have no idea how
to handle. I did give them 1000 each aspirin, Tylenol and
Nivaquine. That should help a few people.
It is now 10:45. After supper tonight we missionaries sat down
and talked, the first time we have talked as a group since this all
started. We had to do a little group planning. Ernie, Robin and I have
been each talking with people in our groups, but we hadn't shared what we
had been saying. After making some plans like who is riding in what car
for as far as we go by car and who we will be leaving in charge of the
station as a whole. I came home and put some more things in the
attic. Now I want to send this out. The reality of the fact that we are
leaving and do not know if or when we will be back and if we do come back
what we will come back to has not really set in yet. We don't know if we
are leaving tomorrow or later and we don't know how much time we will have
from the time we get word that we are leaving and that we leave. So I
don't know when you will hear from me again.
Since I can only take a backpack supposedly just 12 lbs I don't know
when I will be E-mailing again as I will not be taking my computer. That
also means I may be loosing addresses, so if you stop hearing from me then
you might e-mail me as ask why. Sometime someplace I will pick up e-mails
again.
I know I don't need to ask you to keep us in your prayers. Pray
especially for Powells and Campbell's who both have children in Abidjan,
they were at School at ICA, and their parents are here that is hard on
everyone.
Even when it doesn't look like it, God is in control!! In His
hands, Linda
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At 09:33 PM 9/27/02 +1200, Brian Jacobs wrote:<br>
>>No, we aren't essentially good, and no, there isn't some
"just God" in the sky who will<br>
>>punish the wicked and bless the good. <br>
<br>
>Man, what a sad thought. I kinda feel sorry for you.<br>
>BJ<br>
<br>
I don't want to get into any debates here about the existence of God ...
I've got too much on my plate anyway. We all look for truth we can
live with, but it comes in different forms and we need to respect each
other's journeys as being valid.<br>
<br>
Violence and insanity are the price we pay for sentience ... as
complexity increases so do the chances that things can go completely
haywire in truly powerful ways. But I disagree that humans act
violently in contrast to their own best interests ... they just do so for
short-term purposes and for their individual needs rather than our
collective survival.<br>
<br>
Regardless of your religious orientation, the best any of us can do is to
try to leave this place a little tidier than we found it. Chaos
theory holds that it is often small levers which can direct and control
systems - unmeasurable, imperceptable, often overlooked forces which are
magnified through cycles and iterations to create large scale
perturbations in the system.<br>
<br>
If you pray or meditate, the energy you use to do so may be of those
small forces in the chaos. The work of Larry Dossey, who has
researched the influence of groups of people praying or meditating or
ruminating on a specific task makes me wonder this openly. If you
do not seek a "higher power" or even believe in an amorphous
universal life energy as I do, consider the simple possibility that small
acts, not sweeping and grandiose gestures, may win the day if there are
enough of them and they are consistently performed and applied.<br>
<br>
With that I will attach the latest in the series of e-mails from a woman
in Ivory Coast. Linda Sharp, a close friend of my mother, has
dedicated her life to improving the conditions under which people in that
country live by establishing a clinic in a rural area and providing
health care and support for the local people. She may be fleeing
for her life as we speak.<br>
<br>
Please keep her chaos in your thoughts.<br>
<br>
Kate<br>
<br>
****************************************************************************=
*******************************<br>
----- Original Message ----- <br>
<b>From:</b>
<a href=3D"mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com">Lincsharp</a>@cs.<a=
href=3D"mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com">com</a> <br>
<b>To:</b> <a href=3D"mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com">Lincsharp</a>@cs.<a=
href=3D"mailto:Lincsharp@cs.com">com</a> <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 26, 2002 4:45 PM<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Kgo news 9-26<br>
<br>
<font face=3D"arial" size=3D2>Day 8 This has been the hardest day so=
far. We received word first thing this morning that the American=
Embassy is telling Americans to leave CI while things are somewhat quiet=
and that there are still flights out of Abidjan. Of course I am 8=
hours from Abidjan and one has to go through Bouake to get there. <br>
Robin just talked with our=
stateside boss. He said that they had declared a 48 hour cease fire=
to permit the expats in Bouake to get out. I heard on the news today=
that there were still either 1000 or 1500 expats in Bke. Yesterday it=
was only the school that was evacuated about an hour south of Bouake. =
They then continued from Yamoussoukro today to Abidjan. They had=
hoped to get away by about 10, but it was closer to noon when they left=
Yamo. <br>
On Monday I had already talked with my=
department heads about what would happen if I had to leave. So today=
I told them that we would be leaving, but I didn't know when. We need=
to be ready, we could have as little as a1/2 HR notice. And it is a=
real possibility that we can only take 12 pounds. <br>
We are ready to pay early, I wanted people to=
be paid before I left in case things go sour quickly. So tomorrow I=
will make the general announcement, that is if they don't pull us out=
before 8 :30 AM, the new arrival time for work. With a 6 PM to 8 AM=
curfew, I have told my staff not to come until 8:30. Then we will pay=
tomorrow as well. That way I am sure that my staff will have=
something. And I praise the Lord that I have enough to pay full=
salaries for both the dispensary and PSCD. We have ran between 95 and=
a hundred patients a day since this all started. That was enough to=
pay my staff salaries and what we had on hand before this all started was=
enough to pay the rest and give Robin and I a little bit. Since we=
don't know where we will be going we don't know what kind of money we=
need. I am taking all the dollars that the dispensary has! <br>
Market did function yesterday and I saw a=
couple of mopeds go by with a couple of big sacks on each one, my guess=
rice. A fellow came from the weavers village today. They are=
really hurting. They live on their sales, mainly from tourist and=
probably pretty much hand to mouth. And of course there has not been=
a tourist in the area for a week. The farmers at least have crops that are=
starting to get ripe. they might not get to eat what they like, but=
they will have something to put in their stomach. You can't eat=
tablecloths!! The weavers are all Muslims and they are the ones get=
hurt the most! And they say this is a Muslim north and Christian=
south problem. HaHa. <br>
I did make it up for lunch today, before=
everyone had finished eating. Then I went back down to be with my=
staff as they left. We had just finished praying when they brought in=
another patient. I told my staff that everyone needed to stay until=
the child had been taken care of. They were leaving early and being=
paid for a full day, so I didn't feel bad about asking them to all=
stay. They are leaving as soon as all the patients present are taken=
care of. And today for the first time I haven't had a 4 PM=
influx. <br>
As my staff were getting ready to leave they=
were saying that it would be nice if they had something with a red cross on=
it, like Red Cross has, so that they wouldn't get stopped. They had=
no more than left when 2 fellows from Red Cross showed up with a overshirt=
like thing with big red crosses on the back and front. I then knew=
what they were talking about. They had come looking for=
donations. All their free meds were gone. I chatted with them=
for a while. According to them they are doing all the health care in=
Kgo. They have an RN that over sees them and a couple of Drs. that=
will come if they can't handle the case. They are getting a number of=
injuries from stray bullets. Also wounds from these kids who are=
shooting themselves with the guns that they have no idea how to=
handle. I did give them 1000 each aspirin, Tylenol and=
Nivaquine. That should help a few people. <br>
It is now 10:45. After=
supper tonight we missionaries sat down and talked, the first time we have=
talked as a group since this all started. We had to do a little group=
planning. Ernie, Robin and I have been each talking with people in our=
groups, but we hadn't shared what we had been saying. After making=
some plans like who is riding in what car for as far as we go by car and=
who we will be leaving in charge of the station as a whole. I came=
home and put some more things in the attic. Now I want to send this=
out. The reality of the fact that we are leaving and do not know if=
or when we will be back and if we do come back what we will come back to=
has not really set in yet. We don't know if we are leaving tomorrow=
or later and we don't know how much time we will have from the time we get=
word that we are leaving and that we leave. So I don't know when you=
will hear from me again. <br>
Since I can only take a backpack supposedly=
just 12 lbs I don't know when I will be E-mailing again as I will not be=
taking my computer. That also means I may be loosing addresses, so if=
you stop hearing from me then you might e-mail me as ask why. =
Sometime someplace I will pick up e-mails again. <br>
I know I don't need to ask you to keep us in=
your prayers. Pray especially for Powells and Campbell's who both=
have children in Abidjan, they were at School at ICA, and their parents are=
here that is hard on everyone. <br>
Even when it doesn't look like it, God is in=
control!! In His hands, Linda <br>
</font></html>
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