Day Four and More

I just wrote that title and giggled a bit to myself.  It rhymes.  I'm a poet and didn't know it.  Old, lame.  Sorry for the digression.  Here we go.  On to more consequential matters.  Matters that in order to remember I must refer to my journal. 

Day four.  A day full of bracelet making and scripture sharing.  Today we shared favorite verses.  Not all of us, only a few felt the urging.  They did and the words that were spoken were sweet honey to all listening.  In each story something relateable, illness, heartache, death.  A piece that resonated in the hearts of these women.  Another cord being woven together.  There was of course a lesson and study time together.  Praise the Lord for our translators, what a gift.

When I watched each woman on our team interact today something shifted in me.  There was a recognizable, glorious act.  Simple in and of itself yet profoundly powerful. It was obedience.  It was letting the discomfort, the cumbersome weight of life slip away.  We were all present.  In that moment, fully there.  And I was.  At least I think I was.  Tears welled and were stuck, waiting to be released.  Then they flowed.  Cathartic, all this listening and watching that I did.  That was my obedience.  Being quiet.  Watching Him do the work.  Not striving to be noticed or exhaulted. 

The photographs tell a better story than I do for this day.  The body at work.  Being the hands and feet. 

Singing the hippopotamus song-

all about creation

 Children teaching us a new song

 Wearing animal masks

 Coloring time

 Tamales, made by the carpenter's wife and carried over an hour and a half just for us.  She even hired a boy to help her carry them, paying him to walk with her.  Labor of love.  And boy were those tamales muy delicioso!

Bracelet time on the clinic porch

 More games with the children, learning the Spanish words for, "duck, duck, goose!"

Finishing the bracelet, many hands

 Riley purchasing some fruit, roadside

Tyring liche for the first time.  According to descriptions by my fellow passengers, it looks like a strawberry with spines, a goat eyeball in the middle with an almond for the pit.  Try and figure that one out.  You eat the inside, white part, or pearl onion, and spit the seed out.  Tasty. 

At least I thought so. 

Despite our roadside diversion our vehicle managed to make it back to the ranch first this day.  There was a massive rain storm and so we assumed the caravan had maybe encountered that in route.  What we found out later, actually in the middle of my shower was that one of the trucks had slid off the road a bit and had to be pulled back up from the mountain side.  The ladies were all safe, driver included and she drove home after the scare. What those team mates that were there for the incident were able to witness though was community.  Immediately there were prayers being spoken.  Villagers came from seemingly nowhere to help.  Some even running with machetes, rope, whatever supplies they did have, and they unselfishly gave them in assistance.  Amidst noises from the crowd the truck was rescued and all was well.  Thank the Lord.  I have no photos, use your imagination for this one. 

Oddly enough I do have video of our drive up the mountain from earlier this day.  If possible I will try and load that soon so you can experience fully the ride up.