The Hard Weeks

Our kids put on a show with Star Wars legos to help
daddy feel better as he tries to eat popcorn comfort food

Last Friday while El Padre was at the General Assembly, I cut my thumb badly. I was trying to get a stubborn coconut out of the shell. I don't know why I used a sharp knife!? After a short bit, I had to call El Padre home to put a steri-strip securely on my cut. The thought of stitches here quickly convinced me the cut was not worthy of stitches!

Then on Sunday El Padre came down with malaria. We caught it early, so it wasn’t as scary as the last time he had malaria, but any way you put it malaria is bad! He had to go on a strong medication to ensure getting rid of all the malaria and it wiped him out. The medication is no fun at all and by this point he is just sick of being sick.

My husband being sick really brings out my appreciation of all the things he does so well. I miss my water filling, parenting and emailing buddy. The errand I had to run this week because he could not made me nervous and frustrated. I was also very nervous stepping in to teach his English class at the Bible School. All those places we work as a team and now he can't do it; he is greatly missed. At least this sickness brings about appreciation!

These are the weeks where the question “why we are here?” starts to come into the back of your mind. It took much of this week just to survive, teach one English class and send a couple of emails. Those thoughts bring us back to El Padre’s advent devotional - which he says much better, so take a moment to read it if you have our latest newsletter. Jesus went through all the problems of being human. Like carrying water and going without electricity, these are experiences our neighbors can relate to. I have treated our neighbors’ knife gashes and during October it is hard to talk to anyone who doesn't have someone in their family sick with malaria. Sometimes we spend a week not doing much more than going through the hassles that our neighbors have always dealt with. This uncomfortable, small accompaniment brings to light our appreciation for Jesus' accompaniment in our lives.

Thank you to each one of you who has contacted and encouraged us this week. You do not realize the impact you make!

--La Maestra