Life on the race: Week 1-14-07
I am going to try to post a blog each week to share some of the everyday challenges and triumphs of a girl from Texas and her life on the race and in the nations.
So much has already happened, and we are only on day 14!!!
Let me catch you up on last week.
I have learned to co-exist with many of God’s creation… like ANTS!!! Seriously, they are everywhere, they are the last thing I see at night, and the first thing I see in the morning. They greet me before my morning tea, and most of the time, they greet me IN my morning tea! The tarantulas and I have not exactly bonded yet. YUK!!!
I was at the internet cafe and had to pee, really bad. No “bano” there. I went next door and the restaurant was gracious and let me use there bathroom (big sign that said for customers only). I stood there wondering how to flush it, there was no handle, but there was a big bucket of water outside the door. So I managed to get out enough Spanish to ask her what to do… You have to dump a bucket of water in the toilet to get it to flush!!!
That is in the places where you don’t have to “pay to pee” of course.
Yesterday, we stood in line for 3 hours, THREE HOURS, to get our Mexico Visa’s. Actually I sat in line, right in the middle of the bank floor, with a couple of kids. Mallorie grabbed the opportunity to minister and met a young girl who she is going begin a bible study with next week! Way to go sister, we are proud of you.
Interesting, what is your “line limit” – how long can you stand in line before stomping your feet or demanding that they get more help at the counter? Before yesterday, mine was pretty short. But no one here in Mexico complained. They waited their turns, patiently. Even the children found simple ways to entertain themselves, mostly by pointing and laughing at the silly American’s sitting in the middle of the floor.
I know that the HOLY SPIRIT, ‘Espiritu Santo” was with me, because I just took a deep breath, put on worship music, sat on the floor and read Psalms (three hours worth of Psalms). Praise God.
We have now moved locations are are now staying at one of the local churches we will be supporting. About half of us are doing it slumber party style inside and the rest have set up tents, in the front yard.
Actually, I love the tent, it is the closest I have gotten to my own bedroom!
We have one toilet and one hose for a shower! So the girls had a swim suit shower party last night.
We are sung to sleep each night by the many many stray dogs here! And Mom – thanks for the alarm clock, but we definitely don’t need it. The Rooster really does crow at the crack of dawn. And I think Mexico has a few ADD Roosters…
And great news, my tent does not leak… I got to test it out as it rained, hard, all night!
The pastor and his wife are a blessing, true servants of the Lord. We walk a few blocks to their home each day for home-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner! And she is a great cook! They like to fry almost everything, which most of the team is loving, it is definitely a struggle for me. It is really great to experience living in a community where people mostly walk, they know their neighbors, and they support each other like family. Last night as we walked to dinner, we noticed about 12 women outside praying over their sister who seems to have some type of arthritis. The team stopped to lay hands on her and pray as well. We were welcomed with open arms.
We spend a day doing some manual labor to serve the pastor of the bible college we stayed at. Please lift up Eliazar and his family in prayer… AMAZING man of God and a blessing to us.
The children love us, and their smiles are contagious. To American’s they may appear to “have nothing.” But you quickly see they have the greatest gift of all, and one money can’t buy… they have laughter, they have joy!
