1.Say “Cheese,” or smile. It changes endorphins in your brain.
2.Try to be with or talk to positive people.
3.Practice a jolly belly laugh. Pretend you’re auditioning to play Santa Claus.
4.Exercise daily for twenty minutes or take a brisk walk.
5.Keep a gratitude journal. Write down ten things for which you are thankful.
6.Dance to lively music.
7.Try Tai Chi or qigong; it uses breath regulation and mediation to enhance the flow of vital energy in the body. It relaxes the nervous system, increases circulation, is an easy form of exercise, engages the mind and improves well-being.
8.Sing a positive song.
9.Read or write poetry. Try writing a limerick and send it off to a contest.
10.Play with a puppy.
11.Play your favorite music.
12.Watch a funny movie or read something humorous. Ask friends and family members to tell you the funniest thing that ever happened to them and write it down. Remember, laughter is a tranquilizer with no side affects.
13.Help someone else, even if it’s sending a card or a positive telephone call.
14.Focus on your successes in life and record or write them down.
15.Concentrate on positive affirmations such as, “I enjoy being happy.”
16.Pray.
17.Tap your brain’s success circuits using guided imagery or creative visualization. Play positive movies in your mind.
18.Meditate. Live in the present moment. Practice mindfulness.
19.Keep busy. When your mind is not occupied you tend to dwell on negative thoughts. Replace the negative tapes you play in your head with positive thoughts.
20.Practice deep breathing, or Kundalini Yoga.
From Defeating Depression& Beating the Blues, by Pat Webb(Butts)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Symptoms of Depression
Symptoms of depression
The diagnostic criteria for a major depression is a depressed mood for most of each day, which lasts more than two months. Symptoms may include.
1.Poor appetite or overeating.
2.Insomnia or hypersomnia
3.Low energy or fatigue
4.Low self esteem
5.Poor concentration
6.Difficulty making decisions
7.Feelings of hopelessness
8.Significant weight loss or weight gain
9.Diminished interest in pleasurable activity.
10.Thoughts of death or suicide (if you have suicidal thoughts, seek professional help)
The diagnostic criteria for a major depression is a depressed mood for most of each day, which lasts more than two months. Symptoms may include.
1.Poor appetite or overeating.
2.Insomnia or hypersomnia
3.Low energy or fatigue
4.Low self esteem
5.Poor concentration
6.Difficulty making decisions
7.Feelings of hopelessness
8.Significant weight loss or weight gain
9.Diminished interest in pleasurable activity.
10.Thoughts of death or suicide (if you have suicidal thoughts, seek professional help)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Beating the Blues for the Holidays
Beating the Blues
By Patty Butts, Ph.D., LPC
“You cannot keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in you hair.”
Like Jonah, we sometimes end up in the belly of the whale. At least that’s what it feels like. If it’s not the belly of the whale, maybe it’s the blues, melancholy or sadness. Some people feel temporarily blue because of loneliness, grief, death of a loved one, divorce, poor health, financial problems or other life stressors. These moods usually lift and the person will function normally again, but if it lasts for more than several months and interferes with daily activities, professional help may be needed.
Get moving
Depression knocks at every door, but you don’t have to invite it in as a permanent guest. Like my grandfather used to say, “Fresh fish and house guests shouldn’t stay more than three days.” If the blues stay more than a few weeks, someone needs to move, and exercise is a great beginning. Studies have shown that vigorous exercise stimulates circulation, produces an increase in endorphins and releases serotonins in the brain, the hormones that encourage contentment and cheerfulness. Aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, jumping on a mini-tramp and biking can generate a significant antidepressant effect. Brisk walking is as effective as any other exercise.
Learn to laugh
Say “Cheese!” University studies confirm that when we use our smile muscles and humor, it increases the endorphins in our brain. Humor is the ability to look at the absurdity in our own lives and find something to laugh about. It may not eliminate the problem, but it will help overcome the effect. Life is at least as funny as it is sad. Humor can stop misunderstandings and ease tension when no other strategies will work. Consider creating a humor folder with clever cartoons and quips. These clips are good to pass on to friends and family when they are ill, recuperating or just need a chuckle to cheer them up.
Eat well
While there are many causes of depression or the blues, good nutrition plays a vital role. My No. 1 recommendation is to add essential fatty acids (EFAs) to your diet in the form of fish or flax seed oil or a blend that contains both omega 3s and omega 6s such as marine/borage lipid combination. Omega 3s, raise the serotonin level in our brain, improve moods and are found in fresh deepwater fish, flax seed or flax oil. A good quality fish oil or evening primrose oil are examples of good fats. "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill" by Udo Erasmus is an excellent resource. Avoid saturated fat and transfatty acids. Bad fats (French fries, deep fried foods, etc.,) inhibit the synthesis of neurotransmitters by the brain because they cause the blood cells to become sticky and clump together, resulting in poor circulation, especially to the brain.
According to Dr. Norman Shealy, author of "Alternative Medicine," and Dr. James F. Balch, author of "Nutritional Healing," avoid sugar. That means honey, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup and fruit juice. Avoid drinks or foods with aspartame because it can block the formation of serotonin and also cause headaches and insomnia. Your body reacts more quickly to sugar than it does to complex carbohydrates. The quick increase in energy by the intake of sugar is quickly followed by fatigue and depression. Stevia is an excellent sugar substitute.
Candida is a yeast-like fungus that inhabits the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, throat, genital tract and bowels and can contribute to depression and mental illness. According to Dr.William Crook, author of "The Yeast Connection," diet, antibiotics, and some birth control pills are factors that cause candida-related health problems. As yeast multiplies in the intestinal tract, villi in the intestines is unable to absorb vital nutrients needed by the brain and body. You feel hungry, your body craves sugar and bread, which contributes to more yeast overgrowth. Dr. Crook’s book is an excellent resource and has a candida questionnaire. The candisphere is a test your doctor can give to measure candida in the blood.
Remember when you are eating junk food, dead food without enzymes and empty calories, you are only feeding your mouth, not your body. Dead foods include food like coffee, sodas, candy, alcohol, pastries, peanuts, fried foods, processed foods, microwaved foods and margarine. Live foods include foods like broccoli, avocados, spinach, celery, cucumbers, limes, lemons, fish, almonds, sunflower seeds, olive oil, grape seed oil, flax seed oil, tomatoes, onions, garlic, alfalfa, peppers and sprouted wheat wraps. In the next minute your body is going to give birth to 720 million new cells. What quality of materials have you stockpiled in your body for it to use to make these new cells? When your body wears out, where are you going to live?
Positive thinking
Our thoughts determine our feelings and actions. Wayne Dyer, a well known psychologist and author, has said, “When you realize that what you think about becomes your reality, you become very careful about what you think about.” When an African shaman prays for rain, he prays, “Thanks for the taste of the rain. Thanks for the smell of the rain. Thanks for the rain,” and somewhere out there it is raining.
We can change our thoughts and replace them with words from a positive song, positive affirmations or appropriate music.
Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives us something to do, but it doesn’t get us anywhere. Helen Keller said, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.”
Depression can be caused by loss, feeling trapped, guilt, and anger turned in on yourself. Acknowledge your feelings; it’s painful to lose a loved one in death or divorce. It’s distressing to have health problems. Write about your feelings. Find a support group or someone you can talk to about your pain or loss, but don’t dwell on it continuously. Widowed twice, I have felt the agony of loss and loneliness, but ultimately I had to ask myself, “How can I turn my pain into service or positive action?”
It’s normal to have a pity party when you are hurting, but make it a short pity party. My mother-in-law, Marie, was one of the most positive people I’ve known. She was in her 60s when first widowed, but said, “I’m not going to feel sorry for myself. I’ll take myself to lunch or have friends over for dinner.”
Marie frequently went for walks or to a shopping mall and said hello to everyone. She took lemonade out to the garbage man and in turn, he delivered her garbage can in the driveway next to her house. When Marie was nearly 80 she said, “I’m going to go visit the old people on the street.” The old people on the street were in their 60s.
Keep a gratitude journal. Each day write down from five to ten things you are grateful for — laughter, the giggle of a baby, sunrises, sunset, trees, rivers, forests, mountains, blue sky, rain, flowers, the song of a bird, music, a healthy heart — the list could go on forever. Develop an attitude of gratitude.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Surveys indicate 4 to 6 percent of the general population experience winter depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a severe form of winter blues. Those with SAD may lose their energy, gain weight, sleep too much, suffer anxiety attacks, and crave the wrong foods.
In winter, the level of indoor light produces about a tenth of the illumination of a full day of natural light due to shorter and darker days. Doctors recommend you stay in brightly lit rooms on dark days. According to Dr. C. Norman Shealey, “Getting outdoors in bright daylight as much as possible and sitting near windows in light colored rooms can help.”
Thomas Jefferson Medical Research Facility did a 15 year study on light therapy and found that a specific band of light increased serotonin levels significantly.
Apollo Light Systems in Orem, Utah, has developed a goLite which is that specific band of light. It can be purchased at Costco for about $150. and might cost twice that amount if purchased at a retail outlet. This portable unit can be used at work, home, or even when you travel. If you are having difficulty sleeping you may want to check your circadian rhythm. For an assessment of your circadian rhythm go to www.apollohealth.com and pull up circadian rhythm, then assessment tools.
By Patty Butts, Ph.D., LPC
“You cannot keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in you hair.”
Like Jonah, we sometimes end up in the belly of the whale. At least that’s what it feels like. If it’s not the belly of the whale, maybe it’s the blues, melancholy or sadness. Some people feel temporarily blue because of loneliness, grief, death of a loved one, divorce, poor health, financial problems or other life stressors. These moods usually lift and the person will function normally again, but if it lasts for more than several months and interferes with daily activities, professional help may be needed.
Get moving
Depression knocks at every door, but you don’t have to invite it in as a permanent guest. Like my grandfather used to say, “Fresh fish and house guests shouldn’t stay more than three days.” If the blues stay more than a few weeks, someone needs to move, and exercise is a great beginning. Studies have shown that vigorous exercise stimulates circulation, produces an increase in endorphins and releases serotonins in the brain, the hormones that encourage contentment and cheerfulness. Aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, jumping on a mini-tramp and biking can generate a significant antidepressant effect. Brisk walking is as effective as any other exercise.
Learn to laugh
Say “Cheese!” University studies confirm that when we use our smile muscles and humor, it increases the endorphins in our brain. Humor is the ability to look at the absurdity in our own lives and find something to laugh about. It may not eliminate the problem, but it will help overcome the effect. Life is at least as funny as it is sad. Humor can stop misunderstandings and ease tension when no other strategies will work. Consider creating a humor folder with clever cartoons and quips. These clips are good to pass on to friends and family when they are ill, recuperating or just need a chuckle to cheer them up.
Eat well
While there are many causes of depression or the blues, good nutrition plays a vital role. My No. 1 recommendation is to add essential fatty acids (EFAs) to your diet in the form of fish or flax seed oil or a blend that contains both omega 3s and omega 6s such as marine/borage lipid combination. Omega 3s, raise the serotonin level in our brain, improve moods and are found in fresh deepwater fish, flax seed or flax oil. A good quality fish oil or evening primrose oil are examples of good fats. "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill" by Udo Erasmus is an excellent resource. Avoid saturated fat and transfatty acids. Bad fats (French fries, deep fried foods, etc.,) inhibit the synthesis of neurotransmitters by the brain because they cause the blood cells to become sticky and clump together, resulting in poor circulation, especially to the brain.
According to Dr. Norman Shealy, author of "Alternative Medicine," and Dr. James F. Balch, author of "Nutritional Healing," avoid sugar. That means honey, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup and fruit juice. Avoid drinks or foods with aspartame because it can block the formation of serotonin and also cause headaches and insomnia. Your body reacts more quickly to sugar than it does to complex carbohydrates. The quick increase in energy by the intake of sugar is quickly followed by fatigue and depression. Stevia is an excellent sugar substitute.
Candida is a yeast-like fungus that inhabits the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, throat, genital tract and bowels and can contribute to depression and mental illness. According to Dr.William Crook, author of "The Yeast Connection," diet, antibiotics, and some birth control pills are factors that cause candida-related health problems. As yeast multiplies in the intestinal tract, villi in the intestines is unable to absorb vital nutrients needed by the brain and body. You feel hungry, your body craves sugar and bread, which contributes to more yeast overgrowth. Dr. Crook’s book is an excellent resource and has a candida questionnaire. The candisphere is a test your doctor can give to measure candida in the blood.
Remember when you are eating junk food, dead food without enzymes and empty calories, you are only feeding your mouth, not your body. Dead foods include food like coffee, sodas, candy, alcohol, pastries, peanuts, fried foods, processed foods, microwaved foods and margarine. Live foods include foods like broccoli, avocados, spinach, celery, cucumbers, limes, lemons, fish, almonds, sunflower seeds, olive oil, grape seed oil, flax seed oil, tomatoes, onions, garlic, alfalfa, peppers and sprouted wheat wraps. In the next minute your body is going to give birth to 720 million new cells. What quality of materials have you stockpiled in your body for it to use to make these new cells? When your body wears out, where are you going to live?
Positive thinking
Our thoughts determine our feelings and actions. Wayne Dyer, a well known psychologist and author, has said, “When you realize that what you think about becomes your reality, you become very careful about what you think about.” When an African shaman prays for rain, he prays, “Thanks for the taste of the rain. Thanks for the smell of the rain. Thanks for the rain,” and somewhere out there it is raining.
We can change our thoughts and replace them with words from a positive song, positive affirmations or appropriate music.
Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives us something to do, but it doesn’t get us anywhere. Helen Keller said, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.”
Depression can be caused by loss, feeling trapped, guilt, and anger turned in on yourself. Acknowledge your feelings; it’s painful to lose a loved one in death or divorce. It’s distressing to have health problems. Write about your feelings. Find a support group or someone you can talk to about your pain or loss, but don’t dwell on it continuously. Widowed twice, I have felt the agony of loss and loneliness, but ultimately I had to ask myself, “How can I turn my pain into service or positive action?”
It’s normal to have a pity party when you are hurting, but make it a short pity party. My mother-in-law, Marie, was one of the most positive people I’ve known. She was in her 60s when first widowed, but said, “I’m not going to feel sorry for myself. I’ll take myself to lunch or have friends over for dinner.”
Marie frequently went for walks or to a shopping mall and said hello to everyone. She took lemonade out to the garbage man and in turn, he delivered her garbage can in the driveway next to her house. When Marie was nearly 80 she said, “I’m going to go visit the old people on the street.” The old people on the street were in their 60s.
Keep a gratitude journal. Each day write down from five to ten things you are grateful for — laughter, the giggle of a baby, sunrises, sunset, trees, rivers, forests, mountains, blue sky, rain, flowers, the song of a bird, music, a healthy heart — the list could go on forever. Develop an attitude of gratitude.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Surveys indicate 4 to 6 percent of the general population experience winter depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a severe form of winter blues. Those with SAD may lose their energy, gain weight, sleep too much, suffer anxiety attacks, and crave the wrong foods.
In winter, the level of indoor light produces about a tenth of the illumination of a full day of natural light due to shorter and darker days. Doctors recommend you stay in brightly lit rooms on dark days. According to Dr. C. Norman Shealey, “Getting outdoors in bright daylight as much as possible and sitting near windows in light colored rooms can help.”
Thomas Jefferson Medical Research Facility did a 15 year study on light therapy and found that a specific band of light increased serotonin levels significantly.
Apollo Light Systems in Orem, Utah, has developed a goLite which is that specific band of light. It can be purchased at Costco for about $150. and might cost twice that amount if purchased at a retail outlet. This portable unit can be used at work, home, or even when you travel. If you are having difficulty sleeping you may want to check your circadian rhythm. For an assessment of your circadian rhythm go to www.apollohealth.com and pull up circadian rhythm, then assessment tools.
Be Kinder Than Necessary
Make a rule and pray to God to help you keep it: never, if possible lie down at night without being able to say, "I have made one human being a little wiser or a little happier or at least a little better this day." Charles Kingsley
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Chronic Fatigue and Hope
I have a friend who has had chronic fatigue for over 16 years. He has made the rounds of doctors with no improvement. I encouraged him to change his diet and buy Dr. Robert Young's book "The pH MIracle." He also bought my book on my recovery from CFIDS. In the beginning, he gradually changed his diet to an alkaline diet, drinking three to six liters of green drinks a day and sometimes juicing green vegetables. Since candida is a major player in CFIDS and Fibromyalgia, his doctor put him on Terbinafin. It is supposed to be as strong as Diflucan but not have the side effects to the liver and kidneys. He has avoided eating grains and dairy since many CFIDS patients are gluten and lactose intolerant. He has eaten quinoa, millet and buckwheat and used rice, almond or soy milk in place of wheat, rye or oats, and dairy in addition to the alkaline diet (in one of my older blogs).
This week I received this email from him, "Yesterday I felt better than I have in a very long time. I am getting closer and closer to 100%.
This week I received this email from him, "Yesterday I felt better than I have in a very long time. I am getting closer and closer to 100%.
Monday, December 1, 2008
David Home from India
It has been several weeks since David returned from India, where he visited six cities. The last was Mumbai,and yes, he stayed in the elegant Taj Mahal Hotel where a beautiful beaded water fountain flowed from a pool in the foyer to the roof top.
Fortunately he came home before the terroist attack inside the hotel, but our heart goes out to those who lost their lives or were injured. Tis the season of "Peace on Earth, Good will to men," and we pray that it may be so.
Sometimes we can have so little to do with what is going on in the world, but we can and do have peace in our home, and in our neighbrohoods and perhaps that is where it can begin with each of us.
Fortunately he came home before the terroist attack inside the hotel, but our heart goes out to those who lost their lives or were injured. Tis the season of "Peace on Earth, Good will to men," and we pray that it may be so.
Sometimes we can have so little to do with what is going on in the world, but we can and do have peace in our home, and in our neighbrohoods and perhaps that is where it can begin with each of us.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
African Women Battling Aids
AFRICAN WOMEN BATTLE AIDS
By Patty Butts
In November of 2000, I accompanied my husband on a trip to Botswana, my first trip to Africa. On the flight from Johannesburg to Sua Pan, I overheard parts of a conversation about the AIDS epidemic in the country. A fourth of the population had AIDS or was HIV infected. By the year 2010 it was estimated there would be 40 million orphans. I had heard of AIDS in Africa, but it had never been so close to me. Suddenly the words struck me like lightning. These children were like our children, but they would not have even one parent.
My first husband died of cancer when our oldest son was ten, another son seven, a two-year-old daughter, and I was expecting a baby. It was very difficult for my children. How excruciating it would be to lose both parents. Why couldn’t this be reversed?
As the plane landed on the desolate private airstrip, I noticed a few towering baobab trees silhouetted against the desert landscape. My plan was to study nutritional healing while my husband consulted at the Botash plant. But there were other plans for me.
When I stepped off the plane, I was introduced to a gracious woman whose assignment was to entertain me for the week. Immediately, I was attracted to her warm and winning way and delightful accent.
Dinner was arranged at the Country Club later in the evening and I was informed the schoolmaster would be there to answer any of my many questions. The Big Question was “What are the children being taught about eliminating AIDS for their generation and generations to come.”
At the compound, under a huge tree that canopied a sand patio used for barbecuing, sat two African men and three women dressed in crisp turquoise-colored maid’s uniforms. They were soft spoken with kind and gentle dark eyes. They nodded their heads when we said, hello.
Over the next few days I would learn much about the African people in Botswana and Sowa Town, the nearest town to the Botash plant. Unlike Johannesburg and South Africa, Botswana was fortunate to have an honest government and a miniscule crime rate. Ruled by tribal clans, they had no use or tolerance for firearms, pornography, sexual crimes or theft. Their people felt safe from crime. I felt safe. Their biggest terror and problems were AIDS, unemployment, and poverty.
During dinner, I found the schoolmaster, a tall man with a hefty frame, a jovial chap who liked to talk. I questioned him about AIDS and the impact on the school children. His answers were disappointing. I didn’t agree that safe sex and condoms were the only answer.
It was a company school for the Caucasian and African children of the nearly 700 employees who worked at the plant or serviced Sowa Town. Built by the company in the late 80’s, Sowa Town was populated by over 2000 residents, most of them African, and was a boon to the unemployment problem. For the black child, the private company school was an elite opportunity that assured them of a college education and a life other than poverty, something not likely to be gained at the Sua Pan School operated by the republic of Botswana.
“Some of the children will not be able to continue at our school,” the headmaster said as he bowed his head sadly. “Their parents have AIDS. Only children of employees are allowed to attend.”
Christa Blake, wife of one the chief engineers had been listening intently to our conversation. Recognizing my passionate concern about AIDS, she whispered to me, “I’m on the AIDS Coalition.” Here was someone I wanted to talk to. We arranged to meet in the next few days.
During the restless night, I dreamt of crying children. While awake, I agonized over the AIDS problem. Suddenly it came to me! WOMEN….the women in Africa could conquer the epidemic. The cry of orphaned children….”waaaaa.” “WAA”, the acronym for WOMEN AGAINST AIDS. If three or four women got together and each of them met with three or four other women, soon the whole town could join in the fight against preventing the deadly disease.
In the morning I had breakfast in the small, nearly vacant mess hall. One of the cooks spoke good English and our casual conversation soon became a meaningful friendship. As I expressed my concern about AIDS, she became very interested.
“In many African cultures, a women must become pregnant before a man will marry her. Fertility is a big issue, and the man will not always marry the women he has impregnated,” Shulume told me. As she continued, I realized that fidelity was not an attribute of relationships.
“If you are ever to win the war against AIDS, that must not continue. Women can change that! What can you do about it?” I asked.
“All a women has to do is say, “No,” and a man can do nothing,” Shulume emphatically told me. “Our country does not tolerate rape.”
That seemed easy enough to me, but as I was to later learn, it wasn’t as simple, as women saying, “No.” The unemployment rate in some communities is as high as 93 percent. Here it was the women who were underemployed. They didn’t consider themselves prostitutes, but it was common to give sexual favors in exchange for food and a place to live.
As I visited the school that morning, I was impressed with the uniformed children, boys in crisp khaki, girls in light blue dresses. As we entered each classroom, the children stood and said, “Good morning, Master Jensen.” There was no disrespect here; they had reverence for authority and their headmaster. These were gentle sweet children. As I gazed at their faces, I wondered how many of them would lose their parents or even their own lives to AIDS. How many would be able to continue their schooling?
Later in the day I met my husband at the compound. We walked a short distance to the weather station so David could check some data. It was there I met Peggy, a beautiful, tall, thin African girl in her late twenties. She was dressed in a long navy blue jumper and white blouse and could have been a New York model. Peggy was one of the meteorologists at the plant. As she explained the weather data to David, I observed how delicate and fragile she was….then I noticed circles of sores on her legs. Instinctively I knew she had parasites…perhaps even in her blood stream, but not AIDS. She smiled at me and there was an immediate connection between us—spirit-to-spirit, soul-to-soul. Peggy had been educated in Nigeria and was also on the AIDS coalition, which led to our long discussion about AIDS. She was not only willing, but also eager to participate with other women in combating AIDS and thought it was a great idea to have women reaching out to other women in the community.
As I questioned her about her health, Peggy said she had been feeling ill for several years, but doctors had not been able to help her. I told her it was possible that she had parasites and suggested natural remedies like garlic, cloves, and a diet that was close to vegetarian. When her ride arrived, she asked me to come back in the morning to continue our discussion.
At dinner that evening I met more people who volunteered to help with the project: the company doctor’s wife who was an advocate of natural medicine, an engineer, and the wife of another engineer.
After dinner, I saw Shulume at the compound. Her eyes were glistening as she said to me, “ I have read from the book you gave me and I know it is true.”
Before the sun was up the next morning, I was pacing the floor thinking—thinking about cottage industries. Would cottage industries work here? Could cottage industries help the unemployment and poverty problems? What protocol could be used to help prevent AIDS? I jotted some notes and watched for Peggy to arrive at work. When the van pulled into the compound, I waited fifteen minutes before heading to her office. Excited to see me, Peggy introduced me to Maggie and Reginah who were also on the AIDS coalition.
When I gave her notes on a possible protocol to prevent AIDS she said, “ We know that God has sent you here.”
Her words surprised me because I really didn’t want to go to Africa, but did want to support my husband on his trip. In October my doctors said I would be unable to travel because I was suffering from exhaustion. My husband and gave me a blessing and promised me I would be well enough to make the trip.
After brainstorming with Peggy, Reginah, and Maggie about forming groups in the community, I was off to Sowa Town to meet with Christa Blake and other women about AIDS and the possibility of starting cottage industries. In the four days I was there, I met with four groups of women who made plans. These were strong, spiritual, God-fearing women. I knew they could make a difference in their community. Sadness engulfed me as I left Sua Pan and my new friends. I wished that I could stay longer.
When I arrived home I sent herbs to help strengthen the immune system, a list of holistic treatments from medical doctors for AIDS, patterns for craft and clothing, and the address and phone number of microcredit groups that lend money to start small businesses. I waited and wondered how the project was doing. It was four months before I heard from Peggy.
She wrote, “The content of your letters was of much help to me and our community. I believe you were an angel sent to our country to pass the good news. We presently have twenty-four groups and committees. (At the time I was there they had only the AIDS coalition). We are just about to open our own AIDS Testing Center here in Sua Pan. We have been having daily prayers in the many committees. I have been following your instructions on improving my diet and using herbs and my health has improved tremendously. I have passed your letters on to top officials, and they have appreciated it very much.” She also said they would be starting groups in other communities. I realized they could be a model for all of Africa.
It was a good start.
It is amazing to me what these women accomplished with prayer and the help of the Lord.
By Patty Butts
In November of 2000, I accompanied my husband on a trip to Botswana, my first trip to Africa. On the flight from Johannesburg to Sua Pan, I overheard parts of a conversation about the AIDS epidemic in the country. A fourth of the population had AIDS or was HIV infected. By the year 2010 it was estimated there would be 40 million orphans. I had heard of AIDS in Africa, but it had never been so close to me. Suddenly the words struck me like lightning. These children were like our children, but they would not have even one parent.
My first husband died of cancer when our oldest son was ten, another son seven, a two-year-old daughter, and I was expecting a baby. It was very difficult for my children. How excruciating it would be to lose both parents. Why couldn’t this be reversed?
As the plane landed on the desolate private airstrip, I noticed a few towering baobab trees silhouetted against the desert landscape. My plan was to study nutritional healing while my husband consulted at the Botash plant. But there were other plans for me.
When I stepped off the plane, I was introduced to a gracious woman whose assignment was to entertain me for the week. Immediately, I was attracted to her warm and winning way and delightful accent.
Dinner was arranged at the Country Club later in the evening and I was informed the schoolmaster would be there to answer any of my many questions. The Big Question was “What are the children being taught about eliminating AIDS for their generation and generations to come.”
At the compound, under a huge tree that canopied a sand patio used for barbecuing, sat two African men and three women dressed in crisp turquoise-colored maid’s uniforms. They were soft spoken with kind and gentle dark eyes. They nodded their heads when we said, hello.
Over the next few days I would learn much about the African people in Botswana and Sowa Town, the nearest town to the Botash plant. Unlike Johannesburg and South Africa, Botswana was fortunate to have an honest government and a miniscule crime rate. Ruled by tribal clans, they had no use or tolerance for firearms, pornography, sexual crimes or theft. Their people felt safe from crime. I felt safe. Their biggest terror and problems were AIDS, unemployment, and poverty.
During dinner, I found the schoolmaster, a tall man with a hefty frame, a jovial chap who liked to talk. I questioned him about AIDS and the impact on the school children. His answers were disappointing. I didn’t agree that safe sex and condoms were the only answer.
It was a company school for the Caucasian and African children of the nearly 700 employees who worked at the plant or serviced Sowa Town. Built by the company in the late 80’s, Sowa Town was populated by over 2000 residents, most of them African, and was a boon to the unemployment problem. For the black child, the private company school was an elite opportunity that assured them of a college education and a life other than poverty, something not likely to be gained at the Sua Pan School operated by the republic of Botswana.
“Some of the children will not be able to continue at our school,” the headmaster said as he bowed his head sadly. “Their parents have AIDS. Only children of employees are allowed to attend.”
Christa Blake, wife of one the chief engineers had been listening intently to our conversation. Recognizing my passionate concern about AIDS, she whispered to me, “I’m on the AIDS Coalition.” Here was someone I wanted to talk to. We arranged to meet in the next few days.
During the restless night, I dreamt of crying children. While awake, I agonized over the AIDS problem. Suddenly it came to me! WOMEN….the women in Africa could conquer the epidemic. The cry of orphaned children….”waaaaa.” “WAA”, the acronym for WOMEN AGAINST AIDS. If three or four women got together and each of them met with three or four other women, soon the whole town could join in the fight against preventing the deadly disease.
In the morning I had breakfast in the small, nearly vacant mess hall. One of the cooks spoke good English and our casual conversation soon became a meaningful friendship. As I expressed my concern about AIDS, she became very interested.
“In many African cultures, a women must become pregnant before a man will marry her. Fertility is a big issue, and the man will not always marry the women he has impregnated,” Shulume told me. As she continued, I realized that fidelity was not an attribute of relationships.
“If you are ever to win the war against AIDS, that must not continue. Women can change that! What can you do about it?” I asked.
“All a women has to do is say, “No,” and a man can do nothing,” Shulume emphatically told me. “Our country does not tolerate rape.”
That seemed easy enough to me, but as I was to later learn, it wasn’t as simple, as women saying, “No.” The unemployment rate in some communities is as high as 93 percent. Here it was the women who were underemployed. They didn’t consider themselves prostitutes, but it was common to give sexual favors in exchange for food and a place to live.
As I visited the school that morning, I was impressed with the uniformed children, boys in crisp khaki, girls in light blue dresses. As we entered each classroom, the children stood and said, “Good morning, Master Jensen.” There was no disrespect here; they had reverence for authority and their headmaster. These were gentle sweet children. As I gazed at their faces, I wondered how many of them would lose their parents or even their own lives to AIDS. How many would be able to continue their schooling?
Later in the day I met my husband at the compound. We walked a short distance to the weather station so David could check some data. It was there I met Peggy, a beautiful, tall, thin African girl in her late twenties. She was dressed in a long navy blue jumper and white blouse and could have been a New York model. Peggy was one of the meteorologists at the plant. As she explained the weather data to David, I observed how delicate and fragile she was….then I noticed circles of sores on her legs. Instinctively I knew she had parasites…perhaps even in her blood stream, but not AIDS. She smiled at me and there was an immediate connection between us—spirit-to-spirit, soul-to-soul. Peggy had been educated in Nigeria and was also on the AIDS coalition, which led to our long discussion about AIDS. She was not only willing, but also eager to participate with other women in combating AIDS and thought it was a great idea to have women reaching out to other women in the community.
As I questioned her about her health, Peggy said she had been feeling ill for several years, but doctors had not been able to help her. I told her it was possible that she had parasites and suggested natural remedies like garlic, cloves, and a diet that was close to vegetarian. When her ride arrived, she asked me to come back in the morning to continue our discussion.
At dinner that evening I met more people who volunteered to help with the project: the company doctor’s wife who was an advocate of natural medicine, an engineer, and the wife of another engineer.
After dinner, I saw Shulume at the compound. Her eyes were glistening as she said to me, “ I have read from the book you gave me and I know it is true.”
Before the sun was up the next morning, I was pacing the floor thinking—thinking about cottage industries. Would cottage industries work here? Could cottage industries help the unemployment and poverty problems? What protocol could be used to help prevent AIDS? I jotted some notes and watched for Peggy to arrive at work. When the van pulled into the compound, I waited fifteen minutes before heading to her office. Excited to see me, Peggy introduced me to Maggie and Reginah who were also on the AIDS coalition.
When I gave her notes on a possible protocol to prevent AIDS she said, “ We know that God has sent you here.”
Her words surprised me because I really didn’t want to go to Africa, but did want to support my husband on his trip. In October my doctors said I would be unable to travel because I was suffering from exhaustion. My husband and gave me a blessing and promised me I would be well enough to make the trip.
After brainstorming with Peggy, Reginah, and Maggie about forming groups in the community, I was off to Sowa Town to meet with Christa Blake and other women about AIDS and the possibility of starting cottage industries. In the four days I was there, I met with four groups of women who made plans. These were strong, spiritual, God-fearing women. I knew they could make a difference in their community. Sadness engulfed me as I left Sua Pan and my new friends. I wished that I could stay longer.
When I arrived home I sent herbs to help strengthen the immune system, a list of holistic treatments from medical doctors for AIDS, patterns for craft and clothing, and the address and phone number of microcredit groups that lend money to start small businesses. I waited and wondered how the project was doing. It was four months before I heard from Peggy.
She wrote, “The content of your letters was of much help to me and our community. I believe you were an angel sent to our country to pass the good news. We presently have twenty-four groups and committees. (At the time I was there they had only the AIDS coalition). We are just about to open our own AIDS Testing Center here in Sua Pan. We have been having daily prayers in the many committees. I have been following your instructions on improving my diet and using herbs and my health has improved tremendously. I have passed your letters on to top officials, and they have appreciated it very much.” She also said they would be starting groups in other communities. I realized they could be a model for all of Africa.
It was a good start.
It is amazing to me what these women accomplished with prayer and the help of the Lord.
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