This morning I said goodbye to the Ohio team. They sang at church and a lot of the people of the church sang along with them. I think I experienced what it would be like to chant like monks do. We sang the "Alleluia" song that is pretty well known in most communities. It was like breathing. But with beautiful sound. It was very powerful and relaxing at the same time. I loved it.
Doug, the team leader, preached about being open to change and living the life that God wants for us. The congregation really liked his message. We had a long time of prayer for the people of the church. We prayed for my Aunt Cathy who will have 6 bypasses tomorrow. We also prayed for the cousin of a family who are friends of mine. The cousin is 15 years old and was kidnapped yesterday. That is all the family knows. They are waiting to hear from the kidnappers.
After church I bought some cheese for Christian's house. I asked where his mother was, since she is normally at the service. He said she didn't come today. He said her shoe broke and she had nothing to wear on her feet. He said it in such a matter of fact way. It broke my heart. I can't imagine having my shoe break and having nothing else to wear on my feet. I was telling my Mom the story this afternoon and she said she stopped by Macy's today and bought a new pair of slippers without thinking twice about it. But Christian's Mom missed church today because she had nothing to wear on her feet.
Where in the world do we start? Now, with the cheese, they have a tiny bit of food. But I know each of the kids needs clothes. They need more food. Their mother needs shoes. In a few weeks the kids will need school supplies. I was planning to buy some of the school supplies. But I am confused as to what is the biggest priority. It just seems endless. I can't do enough. My heart hurts when I think about Christian and his family. And yet, they are happy people. They are amazing.
Today my friends asked me to take them to the airport to pick up a co-worker. While we waited in the crowd we noticed a friend from church there. He was meeting his wife. She flew to the United States two months ago to give birth to their first baby in a US hospital. Yesterday they finished all of the paperwork and got a passport for their daughter. Today Raquel and the baby were able to fly home. Edward got to meet his daughter for the first time! It was awesome!!
He didn't tell anyone that his wife and new baby were coming home today. He was surprised to see us there. We gave him space to meet his new daughter. I was dying to take pictures. Lucky for him I have no camera. He said there will be plenty of time for photos. This evening he posted on FB the first thing his daughter did was reach out and hold on to his finger.
My friends took me to see the property they are buying. Everything will be official next week. This has been a long time coming. I am so excited for them! It is a beautiful piece of land in the mountains past the church. The view is gorgeous. They plan to start building a house in about 2 years. Jose said he plans to have a neighborhood prayer group. He said his home will always be open to people - that was a promise he made to God if he ever got his own home. I loved the feeling of the property. I felt a sense of peace there.
I am still thinking about the fact that Doña Olivia is a member of the church now, after I ducked out of a rainstorm into her house five years ago and she asked me about the church I belong to because she needed a church. My Mom pointed out that you never know when you plant a seed.
I am going to miss the Ohio group this week. They fly back to the US tomorrow.
Please pray for safe travels for them, the surgery of my Aunt Cathy, and the 15 year old boy who was kidnapped yesterday. Please also pray for provisions for Christian's family, as well as my friend Ana's family. Pray that I am open to receive guidance as to how/if/when I can help.
