...Worth a Thousand Words"

Nope, not even a picture would be good enough to describe the subject of this blog: Gmz woman. Maybe a full-length video would do, but in its absence, I will attempt to capture it in words (though not quite 1000). The basic idea can be summarized in one statement: Gmz women are tough. Let me demonstrate this by sharing with you two different scenes.

First, picture in your mind two large jerry cans full of water, EACH holding the equivalent of FIVE gallons of milk. Now place those heavy jerry cans into two string pouches suspended from each end of a strong stick. Place that weighed down stick on the shoulder of a Gmz woman and you are starting to get the picture. But that is not all. Add to that load a baby pressed onto her back by a special carrier made out of cow-hide. Do you see it, feel it’s weight? Don’t forget she’s walking barefoot on gravel road, through the woods and over rocky (and hilly) paths. Oh yeah, factor in that it’s 100+ degrees in the shade! But, she’s not in the shade, she’s walking along the main road where there are no trees to block the blazing sun. Hmmm…yeah, now you’re starting to see it. But let’s also add a fun twist that I actually saw a few weeks ago. This barefoot woman is carrying the full water jugs in the hot sun but instead of her baby held snug against her back, imagine her 1+ year old riding on her hip, nursing, while the mother walks. Seeing this amazing feat, I stepped outside myself and looked back. There I was, carrying Micah, just Micah. Hmmm…maybe I better not voice my thoughts of how heavy he is getting these days!

Second, picture a woman in labor. Then again, maybe that’s a bad place to start. Picture a woman sitting quietly under a tree, holding the newest baby you’ve ever seen. Wait! Don’t miss this. How was she sitting? Quietly. One Monday morning, Micah and I sat in a dark room waiting for our weekly “Women’s Tea/Bible Study” to begin. After only a few minutes, I heard some animated chatter outside and so I went to investigate. There, sitting under a nearby tree, was a Gmz woman, holding this tiny baby. My jaw dropped as I was told the story of what had just happened. This woman, who had not been there a few minutes earlier when Micah and I arrived had apparently walked from her village 15 minutes away. She had come to request a ride into the nearby clinic, for she was in labor. She didn’t make it. Instead, she sat on the ground under a tree and without the assistance of anyone else she delivered her baby. The part that blows my mind is that I hadn’t heard anything from inside the open doorway just 10 paces away! Ok ladies, maybe you all were sitting quietly doing Sudoku during your labor but I can say that my experience with Micah was anything but quiet (and I didn’t even get to what they call “active labor,” supposedly the most painful part of the process). This Gmz woman delivered her baby without a peep and after about 20-30 minutes of rest, she stood up and walked home, accompanied only by the new baby now sleeping in her arms. Unbelievable!