Today we squished into our late-eighties model, grey Ford Escort hatchback that we’ve rented from some of the missionaries we’re staying with this week. We’ve affectionately named him Pepe (pronounced Pep-A in an Italian accent). As it’s an old car and struggles when going up hill, the six of us are often seen yelling, “you can make it Pepe!” with one hand each raised in the air for emphasis. I’m sure we look pretty silly but quite entertaining to all we pass. 
Katey and I usually squish together in the front seat with the seat belt cutting into our waists. Long periods of being squashed together in the car have helped our team become very close.
This afternoon we went to a nursing home. As we walked up the stairs to the home we were greeted by an old fellow wearing a shirt with a Bible verse on it. He told us the Lord has changed his life and he’ll never be the same. How cool is that?!
We came here to find our friend from the hospital (A Lonely Woman part 1). Her name is Christina. She seemed a bit shocked to see us. As we sat to pray with her, her eyes welled up with unshed tears. We prayed that people would stop stealing things from her room, as that has been a problem the past few days. We prayed that her daughter would come and visit her. We prayed that her pain would stop, that her body would heal and that she’d be able to sleep at night. Would you pray too?
Afterwards, Christina said, “Do you hear that?” And until that moment I’d blocked out the cries of ‘help me, help me Momma’ that were coming from a room further down the hall. None of the workers seemed to notice the yelling. Christina said she yells all night long.
We went in the room. It smelled liked feces. Joey, a woman in her eighties, was lying on her side covered in blankets crying. She had an accident in her bed. We got her help. She had a huge purple sore on the middle of her back. Her legs were broken and she had little bedsores all over the rest of her. She was wearing a pretty, pale blue nightgown and tufts of soft white hair fell across her face. Once cleaned up she said, ‘Very good to meet you!’ You could tell she had once been a very elegant lady. We prayed and talked with her for a while. We read some passages in the Bible and then we had to say goodbye.
This dear, sweet lady was literally crying for help. How many people passed her by before we came? It makes me wonder how man others are crying for help that we tune out and just pass by.
” A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road and, when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, ‘The man who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.'” ~Luke 10:30-34, 36-37
