We just spent the last 9 days or so working on an orphanage in the Bolivian rain forest. We painted it inside and out varnished all the bricks, sanded and varnished all the wood and our carpenter mark built a beautiful stair case.
On about day 3 of our working adventure 7 out of the 9 men on our squad left for another work location. So that left our leader Rusty and carpenter mark to fend for themselves with 15 women. They survived and we had some great girl time.
We got up every morning and had some bread for breakfast and if we were lucky it was cheese bread and then get to work painting, varnishing or digging. Break for soup lunch at about noon and then work until dinner at 5 and immediately after dinner we all head to the river for bath time. Community bathing is really best done in a river. After we were clean we usually went for a walk down the corner store to get some cookies. After that it was too dark to do anything else so we just went to bed.
Sleeping didn’t come very easily for me this week. There were a few sleepless nights and one night while I was tossing and turning listing to the roosters crowing at 3 o’clock in the morning I asked the Lord “Why am I awake right now Lord?” He said “I”m teaching you patience” I remembered asking for patience but I forgot that you have to learn how to be patient. I do desire the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. So the Lord begins that process in my life. The Lord blessed me everyday with enough energy to do His work in the orphanage but I spent most of my time at night talking to the Lord and waiting to fall asleep and sometimes never did. If I did get to sleep I would usually wake up itching my bug bites or have to go to the bathroom and then wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. Even though all that wasn’t really that fun for me it gives me great joy that the Lord heard my prayer and answered me. It wasn’t in the way I expected but you can’t put God in a box right.
On the more fun side here are some pictures of bath time after work…
pictures by Rubie Palmer
