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!”
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