No Water= One Cranky Lady
I would say that normally I handle living here pretty well, even when the third-worldliness of it comes out. This week not so much. Let me begin by explaining that it is the dry season here. By that I mean, DRY. The roads are dusty, the air is dusty and there is little water coming down the mountain that we use for our city water. It is a horrible time of year for those with allergies as well as anyone who wants to breathe without inhaling dust. Also because of the lack of water our electricity goes out frequently because we use a damn to generate electricity. And it is hot. So so hot. To put it mildly, this is my least favorite time of year. I reached a low point this week though. Our water is being rationed to prevent the city from totally running dry. By rationing, I mean they turn it off for several hours a day and when it is on then they turn the pressure down so you don’t get as much water. This is problem when you want to take a shower because our “water heater” needs pressure in order to turn on. No pressure, no hot water. In addition to this problem, our house isn’t even getting water when the rest of the city has it. We are going on 5 days now with only 2 half days of water. I have been showering at a friends house and we can buy drinking water so no worries there BUT I would REALLY like to wash my dishes correctly and flush my toilets on a regular biases. I am trying to be thankful that we can buy drinking water because I know some people can’t do that. I am trying to be thankful that I have great friends with working showers. And I am trying to be thankful that our landlord has sent over three men to try to fix our water. But to be honest, my heart isn’t feeling very thankful right now. I can deal with no electricity for 36 hours, I can deal with my house flooding like it did last month, and I can deal with the dusty season even though I hate it. I am not dealing well with no water. And as if that wasn’t enough complaining that I just did, I saw a mouse run into my house this week, which I also do not deal with well. I would rather live with a boa constrictor than have a mouse. I also saw it run back out when I screamed but I have no doubt it made it’s way right back in. So there you have it. My complaining and griping.
On a better note, we went to Lordin’s son’s first birthday party yesterday. This is the child that Shannon almost delivered in his truck. He is healthy, happy and beautiful. Lordin has returned to school this month (very unusual for here) and is a great mom. Thanks to those of you who prayed for her and donated money to help take care of her son when he was born.
Elsi
3 Years and Counting
I am sitting in my living room listening to fireworks in surround sound and I remember the first New Years we spent after saying goodbye to all of you. Following several teary days, it was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. We stood on the balcony outside our apartment in Costa Rica and watched the fireworks shoot in every direction (we take fireworks seriously here in Central America.) December 28 marked 3 years of living overseas for us. Yes, I know you are thinking, “Wow, the time sure flew by.” But I can assure you that it did not always seem that way to us. Our 3 years has been filled with victories, struggles, tears and laughter. I am taking this noisy time to reflect on the last three years and the lessons that I have learned. The first is how to ignore and even sleep through the constant fireworks (yes, every night there are fireworks, for some reason, somewhere.) More important lessons include, trusting that God will take care of me and my family. This isn’t something that I say flippantly as I would have in the US. No, I truly have learned that even though there is evil in this world, God will help me through it (although he may not stop it) and will give me peace. I have to continually remind myself of this when my husband is out after dark, or when we are shopping in “the murder capital of the world,” or when one of my kids are sick and we don’t have access to great medical care. He has taught me, no He is teaching me, that I am not in control. I can beg, I can bribe, I can cry but when it comes down to it, His timing is perfect, albeit sometimes slow. He is still teaching me this. However, living here has increased my patience and faith in his timing ten-fold. I have learned that God heals. Sometimes with doctors and sometimes with prayer. One of my hardest but greatest lessons comes from being away from family and friends. I have had to learn to lean on my Father and on my husband. Without friends to talk to or family to run to, I learned that my husband, along with Father, can and should be my best friends. Not in the cliché way people say it but he should be the first one I call when I learn something good, want to laugh with someone or hear something that makes me cry. Other lessons include realizing that electricity is not a need (although it is a great thing. You don’t have to have instant communication (shocking right?!) People can survive with out fast-food and air-conditioning. All groceries can be bought in a two isle store and a family really can live with just one car. I’ve also learned that stating the obvious about someones looks is not rude. You can call someone (to their face) fat, old, big nose etc and this is ok. It is how God made them and they should be proud of it. This continues to amaze and shock me although I am so glad my kids are growing up with that attitude and not feeling the need to be Hollywood beautiful. I have learned that stereotypes aren’t always accurate. I am told on a regular biases that all white people are rich although my bank account says otherwise. Lessons I wish I didn’t learn are that personal space is a matter of opinion as is privacy and personal possessions. Cat-calls in the street are part of the norm. Safety should not be taken lightly. Police are not always on your side. Smooth streets are a luxury. Lastly, tortillas and coffee are to be served at every meal. period. no exceptions. So on that note, have a Happy New Year and here’s to 3 more tortilla filled years!
An iPad Brings Sight
“I once was blind but now I see” is a line from one of my favorite old hymns but what happens when blindness is a reality? When someone really is blind, or going blind, and there is no cure for it? Aldolfo is a freshman at our school and is in this scenario. He has a disorder that makes him have tunnel vision but only in the perimeter making text almost impossible to read. His condition has progressively become worse and there is nothing that doctors here or in the US can due to help nor has God chosen to heal Aldolfo.
God has though, placed several caring teachers in Aldolfo’s path that have helped him find ways to adapt. One teacher takes pictures of his text books then emails them to Aldolfo. Aldolfo goes to a restaurant to download the emails on an old iPad since he does not have wifi. This has been somewhat successful in that he now has access to his textbooks and can change the font so it is big enough for him to read. The downfall is that he is heavily reliant on teachers to remember to do this for him as well as the wifi working well when he is at the restaurant. A couple weeks ago, someone donated a iPad with a camera to Aldolfo giving him responsibility for his own learning. This may not seem like a big deal but to a young man it is huge.
He can now use the iPad to take pictures of anything he is needing to see. This also helps him learn to be responsible in his classes and eventually allowing him to use this in his adult life. This also has the added benefit of him being able to check out books electronically from a library in the US and adjust the text. Right now, while his classmates read he puts his head on his desk because he can’t see well enough to read any of the books in our library. Someone graciously is allowing him to use their electronic library card so that he now has access to books. He may not be “cured” but he is now able to see well enough to be successful in school. Aldolfo is great kid with a lot going for him. Thanks to all those who have given him the opportunity to be successful.
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