Living in a backwards, underdeveloped city in a war-zone does have it's perks. Lyn and her daughter Nadine went to Botembo today to visit Joe who is doing surgery there for a couple weeks. Nadine came after he left and will leave before he's back so they went to visit him. The only other native English speaker at HEAL then is Harper who would be the obvious choice, but since she was in the hospital with malaria (she'll be all right but it was pretty serious and could use your prayers for healing), I volunteered to tag along with Ben Affleck as he visited the hospital and saw what HEAL was doing to make sure he would understand everything that was happening.
It turns out I really wouldn't have been necessary because there was a representative from UNICEF as well as Virgine from HEAL who is the director of the hospital and her English is really well. Then again, it's Ben Affleck - why would I not want to tag along?
It was actually really cool. He seemed genuinely interested in what HEAL was doing as well as the situation in Goma and the surrounding areas as relating to the war. Granted he was an actor and would be the person to make me think that and then just not care at all, but I'd like to think he was really interested. He also talked to two Congolese soldiers who talked about their experience in the army, their wounds, and what they would do when they were better. They said the rebels aren't that strong, but organization and morale in the Congolese army is even lower. They haven't been paid in forever, and the government isn't doing anything for them now that they are hurt. Basically, it's not a very good situation.
The one guy was shot in the chest and the bullet entered on the right side of his body and punctured a lung and exited sort of the middle of his chest. His wallet was in his shirt pocket and the bullet went through one layer of the two-fold wallet and lodged in the other side of it. The bullet was completely in tact and just lost enough momentum that it was stopped on it's way out. It was crazy. He was from the complete other side of the country, and his platoon marched across the country during the rainy season to join the fighting here. It was a very interesting conversation.
After touring the hospital (where Ben stopped in and said hi to Harper) we went over to where the women stay in the transit housing by the Jubilee center and went into the Healing Arts part of the house. This is where women staying at the house learn to sew, knit, or make other hand crafts. Ben got a couple things and was looking for some Congolese money that wasn't in too bad of shape. HA. Like such a thing exists. The one bill I showed him was worth 10 cents and was taped in two different places. He was in luck though because I just so happened to have a rather new looking 200 frank note. He was looking at it, and asked how much it was worth. It's worth 40 cents and he was looking for something to give me in return and he and his personal assistant didn't have any single dollars. He pulls out this Kenyan bill for 200 Kenyan shillings. That was the best part of the day as he and his assistant tried to figure out how much it was worth. Eventually he just said "I don't know what it's worth, but I know it's more that this, so you're coming out ahead." I thought it was cool anyways, and turns out it's worth about $3.20, so for sure I came out ahead. Thanks Ben.
He had to go then as his assistant pointed out very discretely (really, she was a good assistant). We left Healing Arts and talked for a bit. He was wondering what a guy like myself was doing here, and was wondering what I thought of things in Goma since I'd been here for a couple months now. I took this opportunity to get a picture with him since it wasn't super awkward because we had a legit conversation. His assistant took it and then they had to go (and now the picture is in the HEAL Africa album as proof). I believe I'm the only one to get a picture with him in it except for the two soldiers, and I got Ben Affleck's 200 shilling bill from Kenya. What more could one really ask for? Autographs are so overrated (unless he would have signed the bill he gave me, but oh well).
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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1 comment:
Josh - as you can see i'm still obsessed with the fact that Ben visited Heal, especially now that I hear George is going as well!!! Hope you're well, friend.
Nadine
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