One of my favorite books to read to my students is a well-known story that I did not read until a friend suggested I share it with my fourth graders. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time is very imaginative story that deals with some difficult subjects in a creative way. An awkward preteen, Meg, journeys through time and space to find her father, a scientist. From space, looking back on our own Earth, she sees a dark shadow creeping up, and she notices that some planets have already succumb to complete darkness while others are still radiant. As Meg learns from her companions, Earth is somewhere in the middle. Meg learns that it is the great artists, thinkers, leaders, philosophers, and even the stars that are fighting off the darkness. Yesterday, on our return from the Caribbean side of Panama, the sky turned grey, but as I looked towards the southern sky, I noticed one puffy white cloud gleaming with sunlight. I was reminded of this story, and how much I loved the image of all beings, even the stars uniting to keep the darkness at bay.
Then, I thought of our trip. No single person, nor even a small group of people can completely scare away the darkness that threatens to take over our planet. But does that mean that as an individual, we shouldn’t even try? Of course not. If we all try, even just a little, each and every day to make the world a better place, think of the difference we could make. This week, for us, I can tell by the smiles of those around me, we are a little brighter; our lights are shining. My hope is that after this week, El Espino, too is shining a little brighter. Our mission this week was to share God’s love with the children of this small community. We accomplished that, and I think we also pushed the darkness back, even if just a little bit.
We are on the plane now, starting our descent into Atlanta. Our movie today was Invictus, which I had been wanting to see. In the movie, Morgan Freeman plays a role he was born to play as Nelson Mandela. The movie showed just a few ways of how he was able to spark change and inspire a country. I thought about how Nelson Mandela too kept the darkness at bay, even with something that seems as simple as a rugby game.
As I placed my head on the pillow last night, I thanked God for the nudge to encourage me to come on this trip. I am SO glad I came, and I feel truly blessed for the opportunities that I have had this week. As I look forward to next few days, weeks, and years, I know I’ll carry this experience with me. I hope to continue trying to make a difference, no matter how small in this world. I hope to continue to join the stars in the quest to keep darkness away from our beautiful planet. May God bless you and help you to find your own way to keep the darkness at bay.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
"Give me reason; take me higher"
I love music. If you know me at all, you know that there is usually a song in my head, and quite often, my feet are moving along as well. I love how songs can hold wonderful memories – perhaps singing loud in a car with a best friend, being in a certain place, a dance with a special someone, or just a good memory.
When I hear “Waiting on the World to Change,” I think of my students singing along to words I hope they take to heart. “Livin’ on a Prayer always makes me think of Auburn’s 13 and 0 season, and screaming the song throughout the stadium surrounded by my sisters. When I spent the summer in Italy, Kevin Lyttle’s “Turn Me On” was playing on every corner. “Slice of Heaven” reminds me of being in New Zealand with the kiwis. I cannot hear a John Denver or Michael Buble song without thinking about the Italian/Israeli DJ named Sam. And whenever I hear “500 Miles,” I can’t help but laugh about our trek through Europe when Emily was convinced that I made her walk 500 miles. So many songs are attached to so many memories, and they always bring a smile to my face.
Jesus introduced us to a song that is being played for the World Cup. The song is wonderful, upbeat, peppy and inspirational. We have all fallen in love with it and sing it on the bus as often as possible. The second line of the song is “give me reason; take me higher.” Wow. What a beautiful, simple prayer. Today, as we were dropping off the last of the kids, Chalino busted out with the first line, I contributed the second line, and a child on the bus supplied the third. It is amazing how music can transcend languages.
This morning, we drove into a deep valley that is supposedly the world’s largest volcano created valley. The mountain rims were green, and topped with heavy white clouds that surrounded the hilltops like mist on a cool day. We went to a small zoo in the valley, which as you can only imagine was a highlight for me! We saw parrots, peacocks, turtles, ducks, sheep, rabbits, swans, raccoons, and pheasants with Egyptian styled feathers. I also fed monkeys, a taper, and an ostrich by hand. The ocelots were beautiful, and since you could go right up to the cages, I decided to make friends. She crept towards me at first, then ignored me, but then she returned to the fence. At that moment, she rubbed her head along the fence, in the same loving way my house cats do. With great caution, as her claws were still in the forefront of my mind, I reached in and rubbed her head!
The drive was very scenic, in fact Panama seems like a well kept secret. Undulating green hills are never far away from the blue ocean waters. Many times we were able to see both in the same breath-taking view along the narrow mountain road.
Today was our last day with the kiddos. I loved spending time with them this week, sharing God’s word and His love. I am truly sorry to leave them, and I can honestly say that I would have loved some more time with them. Each day, they would come running, eager and excited about the whole experience. Roberto stayed back to help me work on the journals today. He’s about seven years old with beautiful long eyelashes. He was intent on learning and having fun this week, but like those bright kids in my class, sometimes he has a hard time fitting in. We were able to communicate and enjoy a few laughs. He loved to help, and I was thrilled for some one on one time. Zussy was always the last to be dropped off on the first bus go-round, and since I always rode the bus, we enjoyed time of sharing simple words in both languages, and she even tried to teach me a dance. I couldn’t say her name without thinking of Zuzu and those significant petals of hers, which only helped me to have a special place for Zussy. Her sweet spirit and white smile will not soon leave my memory.
I was a little nervous about teaching Bible School in another language (thank heavens for Jesus who helped to overcome that barrier!). I loved every minute of it though, and felt even more assured that I’m supposed to be working with children. I feel so lucky, not only to feel like I’ve found my purpose, by calling, but also because I think I have the best job on earth. Children have a way of smiling and lighting up an entire room. Children are fun-loving, curious, energetic, funny and full of hope for a better tomorrow. Who wouldn’t want to be a teacher? I feel like teaching is the “reason” God has given me to be here. Now I’m eager to see what He does to “take me higher.”
When I hear “Waiting on the World to Change,” I think of my students singing along to words I hope they take to heart. “Livin’ on a Prayer always makes me think of Auburn’s 13 and 0 season, and screaming the song throughout the stadium surrounded by my sisters. When I spent the summer in Italy, Kevin Lyttle’s “Turn Me On” was playing on every corner. “Slice of Heaven” reminds me of being in New Zealand with the kiwis. I cannot hear a John Denver or Michael Buble song without thinking about the Italian/Israeli DJ named Sam. And whenever I hear “500 Miles,” I can’t help but laugh about our trek through Europe when Emily was convinced that I made her walk 500 miles. So many songs are attached to so many memories, and they always bring a smile to my face.
Jesus introduced us to a song that is being played for the World Cup. The song is wonderful, upbeat, peppy and inspirational. We have all fallen in love with it and sing it on the bus as often as possible. The second line of the song is “give me reason; take me higher.” Wow. What a beautiful, simple prayer. Today, as we were dropping off the last of the kids, Chalino busted out with the first line, I contributed the second line, and a child on the bus supplied the third. It is amazing how music can transcend languages.
This morning, we drove into a deep valley that is supposedly the world’s largest volcano created valley. The mountain rims were green, and topped with heavy white clouds that surrounded the hilltops like mist on a cool day. We went to a small zoo in the valley, which as you can only imagine was a highlight for me! We saw parrots, peacocks, turtles, ducks, sheep, rabbits, swans, raccoons, and pheasants with Egyptian styled feathers. I also fed monkeys, a taper, and an ostrich by hand. The ocelots were beautiful, and since you could go right up to the cages, I decided to make friends. She crept towards me at first, then ignored me, but then she returned to the fence. At that moment, she rubbed her head along the fence, in the same loving way my house cats do. With great caution, as her claws were still in the forefront of my mind, I reached in and rubbed her head!
The drive was very scenic, in fact Panama seems like a well kept secret. Undulating green hills are never far away from the blue ocean waters. Many times we were able to see both in the same breath-taking view along the narrow mountain road.
Today was our last day with the kiddos. I loved spending time with them this week, sharing God’s word and His love. I am truly sorry to leave them, and I can honestly say that I would have loved some more time with them. Each day, they would come running, eager and excited about the whole experience. Roberto stayed back to help me work on the journals today. He’s about seven years old with beautiful long eyelashes. He was intent on learning and having fun this week, but like those bright kids in my class, sometimes he has a hard time fitting in. We were able to communicate and enjoy a few laughs. He loved to help, and I was thrilled for some one on one time. Zussy was always the last to be dropped off on the first bus go-round, and since I always rode the bus, we enjoyed time of sharing simple words in both languages, and she even tried to teach me a dance. I couldn’t say her name without thinking of Zuzu and those significant petals of hers, which only helped me to have a special place for Zussy. Her sweet spirit and white smile will not soon leave my memory.
I was a little nervous about teaching Bible School in another language (thank heavens for Jesus who helped to overcome that barrier!). I loved every minute of it though, and felt even more assured that I’m supposed to be working with children. I feel so lucky, not only to feel like I’ve found my purpose, by calling, but also because I think I have the best job on earth. Children have a way of smiling and lighting up an entire room. Children are fun-loving, curious, energetic, funny and full of hope for a better tomorrow. Who wouldn’t want to be a teacher? I feel like teaching is the “reason” God has given me to be here. Now I’m eager to see what He does to “take me higher.”
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Family
By this point, we are all a family. If we weren’t family, would we be able to talk about our bowel movements (or lack there of) over the breakfast table? It’s amazing how close you become to people as you work, live and play beside them, especially in a foreign country. Even though we still have a couple of days, things are beginning to come to a close. Tomorrow is our last day with the kids, and tomorrow night, Dick and Barbara are headed to a resort for a week. Jesus too, I assume, will be leaving us when we return to Panama City. Why is it that when you realize the end is near, you want to spend even more time together, treasuring the time? Why don’t we do that from the beginning? But then again, isn’t that the greatest lesson we can learn? To treasure every moment we have?
We took our nightly run to the grocery store and the golden arches, singing a song Jesus introduced us to on the way there and on the return. We shared stories and laughed at things that had happened on the trip. And, I’m not sure how or why it started, but we all sang the Addams Family theme song together, right in McDonalds.
After our assembly line for the crafts the kids will do tomorrow, we decided to teach Jesus and Chalino a very challenging game: spoons! They both caught right on and loved it. Despite the language barrier, we can really always tell what Chalino is up to, and he was a hoot to play spoons with. We laughed and yelled and cackled, surely disturbing the creatures at the camp, but we were “soaking in” sometime with teach other, and so it was all well worth it.
Families may not be what you expect or plan, and they may come in all shapes and sizes, but surely after this trip we must qualify as a family.
This morning, as I was brushing my teeth (with my bottled water), I looked out the open window (which is so much better than a mirror) and watched the puppy chase a chicken. Despite the fact that my mouth was full of toothpaste, I couldn’t help but chuckle and think about what a special place this is.
Speaking of special, we returned to playa negra this morning. It was just as deserted and just as perfect as two days ago. The tide was lower though, so I was able to do some treasure hunting. I found purple, blue, pink, orange, and white shells. I guess I do have a good bit of my father in me, although shells are not nearly as heavy as rocks!
Our time with the kids is just priceless. I love watching them intently doing a simple craft, or soaking in a story, or learning a new dance. Today in recreation, Barbara had purchased some type of special balloons that were long and thin. When you inflated them and let them go, they would fly about in wild patterns as a typical balloon would do. However, these went a much longer way for a lot longer. The kids were absolutely hysterical running around as a clump trying to catch the balloon.
As any teacher would do, at the beginning of the story, I ask for the children to tell me about what we’ve learned so far. Although I’m not sure they understand the true meanings of all of the parables, I believe they remember them. In all honesty, they will remember us being here and the kindness we showed for a lot longer than they will remember the words I have said. But I still hope that I have planted these stories into good, rich soil.
Each afternoon, we seem to end up sitting on the porch of cabin one discussing the day, snacking and resting. Several years ago my parents were on the first crew that helped to lay the foundation for cabin one. I remember hearing stories about how many corners the building had and how hard the ground was. I love sitting on the porch that they started. I feel connected to them and I love it. I love being connected to my family.
We took our nightly run to the grocery store and the golden arches, singing a song Jesus introduced us to on the way there and on the return. We shared stories and laughed at things that had happened on the trip. And, I’m not sure how or why it started, but we all sang the Addams Family theme song together, right in McDonalds.
After our assembly line for the crafts the kids will do tomorrow, we decided to teach Jesus and Chalino a very challenging game: spoons! They both caught right on and loved it. Despite the language barrier, we can really always tell what Chalino is up to, and he was a hoot to play spoons with. We laughed and yelled and cackled, surely disturbing the creatures at the camp, but we were “soaking in” sometime with teach other, and so it was all well worth it.
Families may not be what you expect or plan, and they may come in all shapes and sizes, but surely after this trip we must qualify as a family.
This morning, as I was brushing my teeth (with my bottled water), I looked out the open window (which is so much better than a mirror) and watched the puppy chase a chicken. Despite the fact that my mouth was full of toothpaste, I couldn’t help but chuckle and think about what a special place this is.
Speaking of special, we returned to playa negra this morning. It was just as deserted and just as perfect as two days ago. The tide was lower though, so I was able to do some treasure hunting. I found purple, blue, pink, orange, and white shells. I guess I do have a good bit of my father in me, although shells are not nearly as heavy as rocks!
Our time with the kids is just priceless. I love watching them intently doing a simple craft, or soaking in a story, or learning a new dance. Today in recreation, Barbara had purchased some type of special balloons that were long and thin. When you inflated them and let them go, they would fly about in wild patterns as a typical balloon would do. However, these went a much longer way for a lot longer. The kids were absolutely hysterical running around as a clump trying to catch the balloon.
As any teacher would do, at the beginning of the story, I ask for the children to tell me about what we’ve learned so far. Although I’m not sure they understand the true meanings of all of the parables, I believe they remember them. In all honesty, they will remember us being here and the kindness we showed for a lot longer than they will remember the words I have said. But I still hope that I have planted these stories into good, rich soil.
Each afternoon, we seem to end up sitting on the porch of cabin one discussing the day, snacking and resting. Several years ago my parents were on the first crew that helped to lay the foundation for cabin one. I remember hearing stories about how many corners the building had and how hard the ground was. I love sitting on the porch that they started. I feel connected to them and I love it. I love being connected to my family.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
New Friends
For me, mission trips are all about connecting to people. Yes, there have been trips where it was more about building or fixing things, but even then, you make connections. It is so wonderful to be traveling with a group of people who share a similar faith, but who also have different relationships with God. I’m loving getting to hear different perspectives. I know I’m growing in my faith through my connections, and those are just with the team I came with.
Most of the team, I knew very well before we arrived. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone though, especially those that I grew up knowing, but since I was a good bit older, I never really “knew” them. At first, everyone was quiet, a little reserved, but by this point in the week, our true personalities are coming out. We are telling stories, poking fun of each other, using sarcasm, sharing our common memories and laughing a lot.
Rhett is the missionary here that we have been working with. He grew up in Birmingham, went to seminary, and soon after graduation he moved to Panama. He has now been here for twenty-five years. What an amazing calling! He has been a wonderful tour guide, and also a wonderful story-teller. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know him.
Chalino (whose real name is Alexander) is our bus driver. He doesn’t speak a lot of English, but his bright-white smile and infectious laughter make communication easy. He can do amazing maneuvers with the bus on narrow roads, and he can keep us laughing without ever saying much more than a word.
I cannot imagine the pressure of naming a child, but I also can’t imagine the pressure of being named after Jesus. Our seventeen-year-old translator seems up to the task though. Jesus, in many ways is your typical teen with cool clothes, stylish hair, sarcasm, and up-to-date technology. On the other hand though, he is great with the kids, easily communicates with the adults and does a beautiful job of translating.
Besides these members of the team, my connections with the kids are growing stronger everyday. Today I was able to not only tell the story of the lost sheep, but I got to play duck-duck-goose, dance, sing, make sheep from handprints, and do the hokey pokey with the kids. Their smiles, their laughs are like a sweet nectar to me. I want to drink it all in!
This morning, before Bible School, we went to a canyon about an hour away. The canyon had water rushing through the bottom that had worn away rocks along the edge so precisely that it looked as though it was carved. The rocks were easy to climb around on, which made for an adventuresome spirit and some fun exploring.
After Bible School, and a quick change, we headed up the road to the white sandy beaches. The beach was lovely, and the mixture of white and black sand made for a beautiful combination. Just off shore, row boats with big fishing nets were anchored. A small island with a cross on top and lots of birds topped off the picture. Luke-warm ocean water was the perfect way to cool off after a day in the hot sun with energetic children. But it didn’t compare to the black sand beaches. Why? Because there were people and lots of signs as people. None the less though, it was a great way to spend the evening.
So to recap, our day went something like this: canyon, ice cream, Bible School, beach, devotion, grocery store, McDonalds and then an assembly line for the crafts we’re doing tomorrow. And oh yes! I did the Macarena on the beach with Jesus. (Whoever thought those words would all be in the same sentence?)
Most of the team, I knew very well before we arrived. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone though, especially those that I grew up knowing, but since I was a good bit older, I never really “knew” them. At first, everyone was quiet, a little reserved, but by this point in the week, our true personalities are coming out. We are telling stories, poking fun of each other, using sarcasm, sharing our common memories and laughing a lot.
Rhett is the missionary here that we have been working with. He grew up in Birmingham, went to seminary, and soon after graduation he moved to Panama. He has now been here for twenty-five years. What an amazing calling! He has been a wonderful tour guide, and also a wonderful story-teller. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know him.
Chalino (whose real name is Alexander) is our bus driver. He doesn’t speak a lot of English, but his bright-white smile and infectious laughter make communication easy. He can do amazing maneuvers with the bus on narrow roads, and he can keep us laughing without ever saying much more than a word.
I cannot imagine the pressure of naming a child, but I also can’t imagine the pressure of being named after Jesus. Our seventeen-year-old translator seems up to the task though. Jesus, in many ways is your typical teen with cool clothes, stylish hair, sarcasm, and up-to-date technology. On the other hand though, he is great with the kids, easily communicates with the adults and does a beautiful job of translating.
Besides these members of the team, my connections with the kids are growing stronger everyday. Today I was able to not only tell the story of the lost sheep, but I got to play duck-duck-goose, dance, sing, make sheep from handprints, and do the hokey pokey with the kids. Their smiles, their laughs are like a sweet nectar to me. I want to drink it all in!
This morning, before Bible School, we went to a canyon about an hour away. The canyon had water rushing through the bottom that had worn away rocks along the edge so precisely that it looked as though it was carved. The rocks were easy to climb around on, which made for an adventuresome spirit and some fun exploring.
After Bible School, and a quick change, we headed up the road to the white sandy beaches. The beach was lovely, and the mixture of white and black sand made for a beautiful combination. Just off shore, row boats with big fishing nets were anchored. A small island with a cross on top and lots of birds topped off the picture. Luke-warm ocean water was the perfect way to cool off after a day in the hot sun with energetic children. But it didn’t compare to the black sand beaches. Why? Because there were people and lots of signs as people. None the less though, it was a great way to spend the evening.
So to recap, our day went something like this: canyon, ice cream, Bible School, beach, devotion, grocery store, McDonalds and then an assembly line for the crafts we’re doing tomorrow. And oh yes! I did the Macarena on the beach with Jesus. (Whoever thought those words would all be in the same sentence?)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Soaking In
The team had discussed going to the beach before Bible School this morning. I must admit that I was hesitant to do so, because I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to prepare (the planner that I am). Thankfully though, the group decided to go, and since I didn’t want to miss out on anything, I stayed up last night doing some planning.
Soon after breakfast, we loaded up and drove about two miles down the torn up road to the most breath-taking beach I have ever stepped foot on. I’ve stood on our beautiful white beaches, seen the tides change in Nova Scotia, chased my “brothers” down sandy dunes in New Zealand, stepped food in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, and even parasailed at the tip of Baja, but none of those compared. The charcoal-black sand glistened as if diamonds had been shattered and sprinkled up and down the beach. Palm trees hung over the divide between earth and sand. The soft white clouds were perfect for finding shapes in as they floated across the baby blue sky. The ocean waves crashed loudly along the shore, but soft enough that they still seemed inviting. But the best part was that the beach was totally, utterly, completely deserted. If you looked as far as the eye could see to one side, you could see human structures, but in the other direction, only God’s structures of carefully placed boulders existed.
The warm ocean water was the perfect temperature for a morning swim. As I was floating along, letting the waves do all the work and only my face soak in the sun, I began to feel guilty. “I’m on a mission trip for heaven’s sake! This feels like an awesome vacation, a guilty pleasure.” But then, I stopped to think about how much of God’s awesome creation I was getting to soak in. The warm sun, tropical greenery, crashing waves, blue sky, soft clouds, salty water and shimmering black sand were all created by the Almighty, and I was getting an incredible opportunity to see, enjoy and soak it all in. I wrote “Life is Good” in the sand, even though that adjective seems incredibly inaccurate, but then again, are there any adjectives that can truly describe how blessed we are?
As we got back in the bus, I found myself feeling just as the children had felt when Maria took the kids through the Austrian country side asking, “Can we do this everyday?”
At Bible School today, things went much smoother. We were all better prepared and more into the groove. The kids were attentive and excited. When I told the story of the Good Samaritan today, I used the few resources I had – my fingers and a few sharpies to make a cast of very convincing finger puppets. (Funny how after several washings, Jesus is the only one that doesn’t seem to be coming off, but I like that.) With a new schedule today I was also able to spend more time connecting with the kids. We did the Hokey Pokey and danced like fools to “500 Miles.” Even though those things really have nothing to do with our lessons this week, the kids are having fun, and they can see we care about them. God’s love is truly in those kids’ bright white smiles. I hope they can see it in mine as well, because Lord knows, you can’t help but smile when you’re around them. I’m glad I was able to “soak in” the love of God through these beautiful children.
We have been very blessed as far as weather (and many other things!) this week. The air here is so humid that even papers left in our rooms become limp and damp. It is hot, but to be honest, I believe Birmingham is experiencing higher temperatures than we are. It has rained, heavily, each night here which helps to cool things off. Kelly and I stayed back tonight during the Golden Arches run during the rain storm. We sat under the tin roof and yelled at one another during the downpour, until I decided to make a mad dash to our second story “home.” Since it was just Kelly and I at the camp, and she was downstairs under the tin roof, I decided to take full advantage: by taking a shower and singing as loud as I wanted. The pounding of rain on the tin roof just above me combined with the trickle of water in my own shower made it near impossible for anyone to hear me. So, I belted out “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “I Have Confidence,” but only the spiders and I could hear it.
Soon after breakfast, we loaded up and drove about two miles down the torn up road to the most breath-taking beach I have ever stepped foot on. I’ve stood on our beautiful white beaches, seen the tides change in Nova Scotia, chased my “brothers” down sandy dunes in New Zealand, stepped food in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, and even parasailed at the tip of Baja, but none of those compared. The charcoal-black sand glistened as if diamonds had been shattered and sprinkled up and down the beach. Palm trees hung over the divide between earth and sand. The soft white clouds were perfect for finding shapes in as they floated across the baby blue sky. The ocean waves crashed loudly along the shore, but soft enough that they still seemed inviting. But the best part was that the beach was totally, utterly, completely deserted. If you looked as far as the eye could see to one side, you could see human structures, but in the other direction, only God’s structures of carefully placed boulders existed.
The warm ocean water was the perfect temperature for a morning swim. As I was floating along, letting the waves do all the work and only my face soak in the sun, I began to feel guilty. “I’m on a mission trip for heaven’s sake! This feels like an awesome vacation, a guilty pleasure.” But then, I stopped to think about how much of God’s awesome creation I was getting to soak in. The warm sun, tropical greenery, crashing waves, blue sky, soft clouds, salty water and shimmering black sand were all created by the Almighty, and I was getting an incredible opportunity to see, enjoy and soak it all in. I wrote “Life is Good” in the sand, even though that adjective seems incredibly inaccurate, but then again, are there any adjectives that can truly describe how blessed we are?
As we got back in the bus, I found myself feeling just as the children had felt when Maria took the kids through the Austrian country side asking, “Can we do this everyday?”
At Bible School today, things went much smoother. We were all better prepared and more into the groove. The kids were attentive and excited. When I told the story of the Good Samaritan today, I used the few resources I had – my fingers and a few sharpies to make a cast of very convincing finger puppets. (Funny how after several washings, Jesus is the only one that doesn’t seem to be coming off, but I like that.) With a new schedule today I was also able to spend more time connecting with the kids. We did the Hokey Pokey and danced like fools to “500 Miles.” Even though those things really have nothing to do with our lessons this week, the kids are having fun, and they can see we care about them. God’s love is truly in those kids’ bright white smiles. I hope they can see it in mine as well, because Lord knows, you can’t help but smile when you’re around them. I’m glad I was able to “soak in” the love of God through these beautiful children.
We have been very blessed as far as weather (and many other things!) this week. The air here is so humid that even papers left in our rooms become limp and damp. It is hot, but to be honest, I believe Birmingham is experiencing higher temperatures than we are. It has rained, heavily, each night here which helps to cool things off. Kelly and I stayed back tonight during the Golden Arches run during the rain storm. We sat under the tin roof and yelled at one another during the downpour, until I decided to make a mad dash to our second story “home.” Since it was just Kelly and I at the camp, and she was downstairs under the tin roof, I decided to take full advantage: by taking a shower and singing as loud as I wanted. The pounding of rain on the tin roof just above me combined with the trickle of water in my own shower made it near impossible for anyone to hear me. So, I belted out “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “I Have Confidence,” but only the spiders and I could hear it.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Rush and Relax
Today is Monday, just another school day. Alarm goes off at five; it is still rather dark, although a few birds are beginning to sing. I climb quietly down the ladder from my top bunk… wait.
We had been staying in bunk rooms attached to a large school and were warned that we needed to be out early because the students were coming. So, when we were loading the buses at 6:15, there were already sounds of laughter and chatter sprinkled throughout the complex.
A lot of planning had already gone into the Bible School program, but many of the details like who was to do exactly what at exactly what time still had to be decided. So our bus ride was full of conversation and planning with a few Spanish Bible songs floating around as well. But our view, the drive, was absolutely beautiful, so it was difficult to give both our full attention. The rolling hills reminded me of the green hills of Ireland, although they were missing the sheep. The view out to the Pacific Ocean helped to put everything in perspective. (Why did I think Panama City was on the Gulf Coast?)
We arrived at our new camp, unloaded, ate a delicious meal of rice, lentils, fish and plantains in about seven minutes, were back on the bus and at “location” about 11:55 (kids were picked up at noon and brought to the camp for Bible School).
Needless to say, Bible School was hectic and a tad crazy today, but we pulled it off, and I must say, I thought it went very well. I’m in charge of the story, and although I think they understood about shining God’s light, I’m excited about tomorrow since I had some more time for planning this evening.
The children are absolutely beautiful. I rode along with them this afternoon as we “delivered” them back home. I was able to connect with a few, making very small talk, and often a fool of myself, which brought forward brilliant smiles that were worth every ounce of embarrassment. I’m looking forward to another day and more connections.
Our accommodations are not exactly five-star, although I’m grateful for the fan that blows across me and the running water. I’m sleeping on two mattresses, but since my twin sheets swallow the combination of the two, I’m pretty certain even I who am not a true princess could feel a pea under the bed. But what would a mission trip be like without interesting stories to tell? And I’m constantly reminding myself how blessed I truly am.
The showers are not ones that I would consider sanitary at home, but after the lovely combination of bug spray and sweat, anything looked good. There is a roof over the group of showers, but our community bathroom is definitely open air. The water comes through a pipe, but it might as well be the spout of an old garden hose. When I showered this evening, heavy rain droplets fell on the tin roof above, the water was luke-warm, and I knew that all around, tropical trees were in full bloom. When I pieced all this together, a feeling of complete tranquility washed over me. I’m not sure if a shower at the Ritz could have been better.
Instead of a mirror above the sink for you to stare at as you brush your teeth, an opening reminds you again of what a neat place this is. You gaze over an open court yard of sorts with an old, wise looking, gnarly tree, and another tin roof where fresh green grass is growing. It is so much better than staring into a mirror.
On our way home from the store tonight, we sang songs: classics like “Old Susanna,” “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain,” “Working on the Railroad,” and several others. What an awesome group! But, “the moral of this story is: don’t sip your cider through a straw!”
We had been staying in bunk rooms attached to a large school and were warned that we needed to be out early because the students were coming. So, when we were loading the buses at 6:15, there were already sounds of laughter and chatter sprinkled throughout the complex.
A lot of planning had already gone into the Bible School program, but many of the details like who was to do exactly what at exactly what time still had to be decided. So our bus ride was full of conversation and planning with a few Spanish Bible songs floating around as well. But our view, the drive, was absolutely beautiful, so it was difficult to give both our full attention. The rolling hills reminded me of the green hills of Ireland, although they were missing the sheep. The view out to the Pacific Ocean helped to put everything in perspective. (Why did I think Panama City was on the Gulf Coast?)
We arrived at our new camp, unloaded, ate a delicious meal of rice, lentils, fish and plantains in about seven minutes, were back on the bus and at “location” about 11:55 (kids were picked up at noon and brought to the camp for Bible School).
Needless to say, Bible School was hectic and a tad crazy today, but we pulled it off, and I must say, I thought it went very well. I’m in charge of the story, and although I think they understood about shining God’s light, I’m excited about tomorrow since I had some more time for planning this evening.
The children are absolutely beautiful. I rode along with them this afternoon as we “delivered” them back home. I was able to connect with a few, making very small talk, and often a fool of myself, which brought forward brilliant smiles that were worth every ounce of embarrassment. I’m looking forward to another day and more connections.
Our accommodations are not exactly five-star, although I’m grateful for the fan that blows across me and the running water. I’m sleeping on two mattresses, but since my twin sheets swallow the combination of the two, I’m pretty certain even I who am not a true princess could feel a pea under the bed. But what would a mission trip be like without interesting stories to tell? And I’m constantly reminding myself how blessed I truly am.
The showers are not ones that I would consider sanitary at home, but after the lovely combination of bug spray and sweat, anything looked good. There is a roof over the group of showers, but our community bathroom is definitely open air. The water comes through a pipe, but it might as well be the spout of an old garden hose. When I showered this evening, heavy rain droplets fell on the tin roof above, the water was luke-warm, and I knew that all around, tropical trees were in full bloom. When I pieced all this together, a feeling of complete tranquility washed over me. I’m not sure if a shower at the Ritz could have been better.
Instead of a mirror above the sink for you to stare at as you brush your teeth, an opening reminds you again of what a neat place this is. You gaze over an open court yard of sorts with an old, wise looking, gnarly tree, and another tin roof where fresh green grass is growing. It is so much better than staring into a mirror.
On our way home from the store tonight, we sang songs: classics like “Old Susanna,” “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain,” “Working on the Railroad,” and several others. What an awesome group! But, “the moral of this story is: don’t sip your cider through a straw!”
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Worship
This morning, we went to Rhett’s church for a worship service. His church probably holds about eighty people. It is simple with white walls, fluorescents lights, a plain wooden cross and a couple of podiums. I have been in some of the grandest cathedrals the world has created and felt the presence of God in all of His majesty. God was equally, if not more, present in this concrete building packed with people.
As far as the words that were spoken today, I understood VERY few, but as for the meaning of the service, I understood it all. Today is Father’s Day, and so much of the service was about fathers. A variety of ladies spoke and sang songs, children recited poems, fathers were honored and love was shared.
One of the songs we sang sounded oddly familiar. Kelly leaned over and whispered, “This is the Day,” which brought a smile to my face. When we were in high school, our families invited children from Belarus to stay in our homes for about a month. Language was a huge barrier, but one day, someone was singing “This is the Day,” when the Belarussians started singing the same tune with unfamiliar words. I guess “this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” are words that should be shared with all languages.
As I was sitting on the wooden pew, concentrating and trying to understand the meaning of the words being spoken, my mind began to drift, and I was reminded of another, meaningful service. My senior year of high school, we took a trip to Italy and Switzerland. We were in Switzerland, on Easter, and couldn’t resist going to a church service. About seven of us decided to go. A couple of members of the group were Catholic, and a couple spoke some French, but I had no clue as to what was going on. That did not take away from the service though. I don’t think I will ever forget the kindness and generosity of the people of that church. They were so glad to see us, so welcoming, that they urged us to participate and to eat with them.
We were treated with that same warmness today. Everyone was eager to meet us, shake our hands, hug and bless us. When lunch was served, we were the first to get our plates as the entire congregation sat crowded around a TV cheering on Brazil in the World Cup.
Soccer holds a special place in my heart, even though at home I never choose to turn in on. It was the only sport I ever really played, and I loved every minute of it. From fifth grade when I was one of four girls on the team and one of the boy’s mom taught us how to “take care of” the boys to high school games all around the state when Terry, the bus driver would humor us and let us play loud, girly music. On my first trip to Europe, my parents and I enjoyed watching games on TV, because there was no need to understand what was being said. We saw riots break out in the streets when Italy won that year. Then, on my latest trip to Europe, we spent many evenings sitting in squares watching matches on giant screens and cheering for who those around us were cheering for. It seems that while we are here, I should cheer for Brazil.
This afternoon we were able to watch as two boats made their way through some of the locks on the Panama Canal. Wow! The process was truly incredible, but what amazed me more was thinking about ALL of those people who made this possible. One hundred years ago, people from all over the world came here to build the canal. Imagine their strength, courage, and determination!
Today was an incredible day! Despite not being able to understand many of the words that were spoken, I know I felt God’s presence, and I think I understood the meaning of it all. Although, I still need to ask why fathers are eagles and not ducks.
As far as the words that were spoken today, I understood VERY few, but as for the meaning of the service, I understood it all. Today is Father’s Day, and so much of the service was about fathers. A variety of ladies spoke and sang songs, children recited poems, fathers were honored and love was shared.
One of the songs we sang sounded oddly familiar. Kelly leaned over and whispered, “This is the Day,” which brought a smile to my face. When we were in high school, our families invited children from Belarus to stay in our homes for about a month. Language was a huge barrier, but one day, someone was singing “This is the Day,” when the Belarussians started singing the same tune with unfamiliar words. I guess “this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” are words that should be shared with all languages.
As I was sitting on the wooden pew, concentrating and trying to understand the meaning of the words being spoken, my mind began to drift, and I was reminded of another, meaningful service. My senior year of high school, we took a trip to Italy and Switzerland. We were in Switzerland, on Easter, and couldn’t resist going to a church service. About seven of us decided to go. A couple of members of the group were Catholic, and a couple spoke some French, but I had no clue as to what was going on. That did not take away from the service though. I don’t think I will ever forget the kindness and generosity of the people of that church. They were so glad to see us, so welcoming, that they urged us to participate and to eat with them.
We were treated with that same warmness today. Everyone was eager to meet us, shake our hands, hug and bless us. When lunch was served, we were the first to get our plates as the entire congregation sat crowded around a TV cheering on Brazil in the World Cup.
Soccer holds a special place in my heart, even though at home I never choose to turn in on. It was the only sport I ever really played, and I loved every minute of it. From fifth grade when I was one of four girls on the team and one of the boy’s mom taught us how to “take care of” the boys to high school games all around the state when Terry, the bus driver would humor us and let us play loud, girly music. On my first trip to Europe, my parents and I enjoyed watching games on TV, because there was no need to understand what was being said. We saw riots break out in the streets when Italy won that year. Then, on my latest trip to Europe, we spent many evenings sitting in squares watching matches on giant screens and cheering for who those around us were cheering for. It seems that while we are here, I should cheer for Brazil.
This afternoon we were able to watch as two boats made their way through some of the locks on the Panama Canal. Wow! The process was truly incredible, but what amazed me more was thinking about ALL of those people who made this possible. One hundred years ago, people from all over the world came here to build the canal. Imagine their strength, courage, and determination!
Today was an incredible day! Despite not being able to understand many of the words that were spoken, I know I felt God’s presence, and I think I understood the meaning of it all. Although, I still need to ask why fathers are eagles and not ducks.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Cold Showers
I am a morning person; in fact my old roommate likened me to a Disney princess, waking up singing with the birds. However, I do typically like to ease my way into the mornings. This morning, I was the first one up, and so the first one in the shower. I knew cold showers were a possibility on this trip, but early in the morning, I did not think about it. As I stepped in, a sudden chill came over me, and my typically perky morning attitude wavered.
Then, I was flooded with memories of my Honduras trip last summer where we had also “endured” cold showers. The knobs in the shower there read “F” and “C” (frio and caluroso), which the vivacious Mia had determined actually meant a phrase that I don’t care to repeat…
I was also reminded of last May when my water heater went out. At the time though, I was raising baby ducks, and so after much time with them, I was so gross that the temperature did not matter!
So, as I’m dodging the cold water in the shower this morning, a smile began to creep back over my face and my morning demeanor returned.
Isn’t it funny how one thing can lead to something else? And how one memory can make you feel warm all over, even in a cold shower?
Tonight, after dinner, we returned to our bunk-bed filled room and played spoons, or pens in this case. I remember playing for hours, during our breaks in high school. Of course we didn’t carry spoons, so the wide variety of items in the center of the group was always entertaining. Everything from chapstick to pens to combs, whatever we could find.
I’m so looking forward to the wonderful memories I’m creating on this trip that I know I’ll get to relive for years.
Then, I was flooded with memories of my Honduras trip last summer where we had also “endured” cold showers. The knobs in the shower there read “F” and “C” (frio and caluroso), which the vivacious Mia had determined actually meant a phrase that I don’t care to repeat…
I was also reminded of last May when my water heater went out. At the time though, I was raising baby ducks, and so after much time with them, I was so gross that the temperature did not matter!
So, as I’m dodging the cold water in the shower this morning, a smile began to creep back over my face and my morning demeanor returned.
Isn’t it funny how one thing can lead to something else? And how one memory can make you feel warm all over, even in a cold shower?
Tonight, after dinner, we returned to our bunk-bed filled room and played spoons, or pens in this case. I remember playing for hours, during our breaks in high school. Of course we didn’t carry spoons, so the wide variety of items in the center of the group was always entertaining. Everything from chapstick to pens to combs, whatever we could find.
I’m so looking forward to the wonderful memories I’m creating on this trip that I know I’ll get to relive for years.
Color Spectrum
At home, in the great melting pot of America, at least in our southern corner of the country, there is a wide variety of skin colors: “red and yellow, black and white.” While we do have this wonderful variety, there does not seem to be a lot of in-between. In Panama, I have noticed that while a huge majority of the people have dark hair and dark eyes, the color of their skin is somewhere in-between ivory and dark chocolate. It is a beautiful color spectrum, a beautiful blend of people.
Panama City is a fascinating city, a true clash of wealth and poverty. We drove past high rise condos overlooking the ocean and seconds later passed areas that could have been seen in Slumdog Millionare. Today was a very gray day with rain “sprinkled” throughout the day, so I’m not sure that I got the full effect of the city, but I wouldn’t classify it as a beautiful city. While the grand high rises’ view of the ocean is perfect, the ocean waters that surround the city are gray and murky in large part because of the sewage that is pumped into them. The interior part of the city has bars up, protecting windows and homes, some brightly colored, but many old and falling apart. As I watched the city pass by through our bus windows, I was overwhelmed with the thoughts of, how do you even begin to “fix” this?
We received a wonderful tour of the city, stopping at a small museum, a craft market and many ruins. Don’t worry, when we came across an ancient tower, I climbed it; I’d hate to leave one unclimbed!
Panama City is a fascinating city, a true clash of wealth and poverty. We drove past high rise condos overlooking the ocean and seconds later passed areas that could have been seen in Slumdog Millionare. Today was a very gray day with rain “sprinkled” throughout the day, so I’m not sure that I got the full effect of the city, but I wouldn’t classify it as a beautiful city. While the grand high rises’ view of the ocean is perfect, the ocean waters that surround the city are gray and murky in large part because of the sewage that is pumped into them. The interior part of the city has bars up, protecting windows and homes, some brightly colored, but many old and falling apart. As I watched the city pass by through our bus windows, I was overwhelmed with the thoughts of, how do you even begin to “fix” this?
We received a wonderful tour of the city, stopping at a small museum, a craft market and many ruins. Don’t worry, when we came across an ancient tower, I climbed it; I’d hate to leave one unclimbed!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Mission Trips
Yesterday, as I was packing and preparing for Panama; it was like it finally hit me. I hadn’t stopped to think much about this trip. When I first heard about the trip, the opportunity and who was going, I jumped at the chance. Then, to be honest, I set it in the back of my mind as something fun that was off in the distance.
As I sorted through clothes yesterday, deciding what would be essential, and what was just taking up space I was flooded with memories from previous mission trips. As a very active member of my church, I went on a week long mission trip every summer with the youth group. I was reminded of penny fights late at night, a precious little girl who ate carrots so that she wouldn’t have to wear glasses just as rabbits did not have to, singing “Meet in the Middle” as we worked towards the center from opposite ends of a yard, smelly sand dollars, endless hours in 15 passenger vans, a friend getting burned so badly that even her eyelids were red, painting each other almost as much as we painted the walls, getting so dirty that the skin above and below our sock lines were strikingly different, burping contests where a mother and son beat out all other contestants, and my last mission trip when I was suddenly the oldest and everyone else had secretly signed a shirt for me. Those trips created some of my favorite memories.
As I thought even deeper, and began to think forward, rather than just backwards, I thought about all of the people we had met and worked with on those trips. I thought about the kids that I’ll be meeting in just a couple of days. I hope that I’ll be able to touch their lives, and make an impact on them. But I realized that in reality, as in all of my previous adventures, I feel it is actually those people who make an incredible, lasting impression on my life. I felt awed by this realization, and almost embarrassed to even be going on a trip, a mission trip, where I would be touched more than those people whom I’m traveling thousands of miles to see. Perhaps the purpose of a mission trip, the objectives of the trip are so much more than the simple line of “teaching Bible School.”
Today at the airport, Zach led the devotion. He talked about how on all of his previous mission trips, he felt like God touched his own life often times more than the people he was ministering to. Then, he read the story of Mary and Martha, reminding us to this week, do the work we came to do, but also, make sure to take time and enjoy, to soak up, God.
God truly works, and speaks, in amazing ways! I’m thrilled to be going on this journey, with this amazing team. I’m eager to “soak up” all that I can!
As I sorted through clothes yesterday, deciding what would be essential, and what was just taking up space I was flooded with memories from previous mission trips. As a very active member of my church, I went on a week long mission trip every summer with the youth group. I was reminded of penny fights late at night, a precious little girl who ate carrots so that she wouldn’t have to wear glasses just as rabbits did not have to, singing “Meet in the Middle” as we worked towards the center from opposite ends of a yard, smelly sand dollars, endless hours in 15 passenger vans, a friend getting burned so badly that even her eyelids were red, painting each other almost as much as we painted the walls, getting so dirty that the skin above and below our sock lines were strikingly different, burping contests where a mother and son beat out all other contestants, and my last mission trip when I was suddenly the oldest and everyone else had secretly signed a shirt for me. Those trips created some of my favorite memories.
As I thought even deeper, and began to think forward, rather than just backwards, I thought about all of the people we had met and worked with on those trips. I thought about the kids that I’ll be meeting in just a couple of days. I hope that I’ll be able to touch their lives, and make an impact on them. But I realized that in reality, as in all of my previous adventures, I feel it is actually those people who make an incredible, lasting impression on my life. I felt awed by this realization, and almost embarrassed to even be going on a trip, a mission trip, where I would be touched more than those people whom I’m traveling thousands of miles to see. Perhaps the purpose of a mission trip, the objectives of the trip are so much more than the simple line of “teaching Bible School.”
Today at the airport, Zach led the devotion. He talked about how on all of his previous mission trips, he felt like God touched his own life often times more than the people he was ministering to. Then, he read the story of Mary and Martha, reminding us to this week, do the work we came to do, but also, make sure to take time and enjoy, to soak up, God.
God truly works, and speaks, in amazing ways! I’m thrilled to be going on this journey, with this amazing team. I’m eager to “soak up” all that I can!
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