Kiddos & B

I slept great last night with the help of melatonin, prayer and knowing precisely what was making the noises outside of my window! I’m telling you, this really does make all of the difference!

I woke up early and went to devotionals with the workers and B. This is where she delegates jobs for the day and gets everyone set up with what they need to accomplish. There were a BILLION problems to deal with this morning, including a conman who owed the community a ton of money, a priest who had many grievances and wanted to leave even though he couldn’t list his complaints, and Ali, my kind driver, whose niece was killed this morning in a car accident. Obviously, he was devastated, and needed to make the long drive to his family.

I’ve been working a great deal on my Portuguese and I’m doing well. When I was at the preschool with S and A, we learned colors in Portuguese, Mapua (the village language) and English! We sang and danced and did bible study. It was so wonderful! These kids are like the others I’ve worked with over the years, so eager to learn! They seem to feel pride, fear, embarrassment, excitement and aside from the SERIOUS language barriers, it’s just as easy (if not moreso) to extract a giggle fit from them as from any of my kids back home! They fall down and pick each other up, they dust off each others faces and hold hands down the road. On the other end of the spectrum, they kick and push without hesitation. They steal each other’s seats. They have no concept of ownership other than their own and if you have something and they want it, look out. Kids will be kids, I suppose, but I still find it interesting their lack of remorse in such situations.

Something that is strikingly different about these kids is the fact that they do not cry. They get fussy with one another on occasion, but they hardly make a sound other than the singing and the laughter. The sounds could heal a soul! It was a pretty uneventful afternoon, and my first of many rice and bean lunches! This meal is served everyday at 11:30am with the exception of Sundays. It was tasty today and I am praying that it will remain so for the remainder of the mission!

Watched The Closer with B, ate African Sweet Potatoes for dinner and papaya and banana for dessert! Not starving in the bush, that’s for sure! I sat with B for awhile after the meal to talk. It is so good to be with my dear friend in her home, as she has been to mine in Sitka. What a wonderful thing to be able to share with someone! Being around B is an inspiration. She truly is a pioneer and listened to her calling with little hesitation or resistance.

I don’t know what the plan is for me, but for now I am praying that my heart will be open enough to receive it.