Mar 20, 2009

Gloom, Despair, etc., etc...

Being sick is depressing to say the least and I almost forget what it feels like to feel good. I have heard it said that there is something good in everything...a silver lining behind every cloud. It is hard to see anything good when a person is flat on their back and their body aching from fever. However, after four of five days in bed, I noticed that some of my body parts were getting some much needed rest and weren't as sore as they had been. So maybe there is something to this silver lining business.


During all this, there has been a team at the mission house. This team is comprised totally of college students from the University of Alabama. I enjoy young people.....from a distance. They are so enthusiastic and full of energy. They are creative and flexible. They haven't yet learned that they have limitations, that there are certain things they aren't able to do, so they just do them anyway. This team of young people built five houses, held a basketball camp, visited homes and took food to families, conducted VBS, and had a block party. Now I can imagine what a block party in Guatemala must have looked like. In the states, it would consist probably of the people in one block or neighborhood. Here, I am sure people would come from everywhere to join the fun of a block party.

March has been relatively quiet and the time is rapidly approaching for me to leave for the states. It will be good to spend some time with my family and friends.


Luisa

Mar 9, 2009

Wise Friends

Whether accidentally or on purpose, I don't know....I prefer to think on purpose....a very good, wise friend helped me this week to understand something that only someone who was standing back from the forest enough to see the trees could.

I have been put into a situation the last few days that has causing me not some small degree of stress and this friend made me see that what I was doing was protecting myself rather that reaching out to someone in need. That does not mean that I intend to roll over and play dead, but I have been able to formulate a plan that has relieved the stress somewhat.

I have another very good, wise friend who said something long ago that has stuck with me, but I have yet to figure out how to accomplish it. He claims that this was not original with him, but it sounds like something he would say. He said, "humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is not thinking of yourself at all."

We, meaning Laurie King and I went to see Berto last Thursday and he is doing surprisingly well. He has seemed to be doing better ever since his week's stay in the hospital. He has some pain, but it is not unbearable. On Saturday, I went back loaded with tangerines, Ensure, vitamins, and pain relievers for him. He is still adamant about not having the surgery....his choice.

I have decided that these posts need to be shorter and more frequent. I can promise shorter, but am not too sure about more frequent.

Luisa