I learned two life lessons today.
#1 is - It is smarter to admit your ignorance.
I remember when my friend Kate, whom I had just met, and I were driving to the airport for my first trip to Honduras in 2008. It was about 5 a.m. Her boyfriend asked us what we were going to do in Honduras. We looked at each other, laughed and admitted we had no idea. He asked a few more questions and we didn't know the answers to any of them. (I was in their wedding a year later and their first baby is due in about 7 weeks!!!!) On the plane we joked and felt embarrassed to be doing something so big while being so clueless. But looking back now I realize we had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Over the past few weeks I have been in situations with people who thought they knew everything. I have lived in Honduras for almost a year and 1/2. I still don't know much about this country and its culture. I know the kids I work with and the things I see. But I am pretty sheltered, so I admit there are many, many more things for me to learn. And there always will be. On the plane on my way back from vacation I sat by a boy who knew everything. He was on his first mission trip to Honduras. But he already knew it all. I sat and listened. He clearly had good intentions. He was right about some things. Other times his ignorance was apparent. I thought at first it could be his age, but I had a similar experience with someone much older while I was in the states.
Kate and I might have felt foolish for not knowing what in the world we were doing or where we were going, but at least we were smart enough to admit it.
#2 is about gratitude.
Today we received a package that a friend sent from the states on August 12th, 2012. At the time she was very excited to send it to us and anxious for us to receive it. We expected the package to take about 2 months to get here. When it didn't come in 3 or 4 months she gathered everything together again, and sent us another package which we did receive. Today Jairo was sitting with the box post marked August 12, 2012 and called me over to show it to me. I took photos and emailed them to her. Her response was awesome. She said, "God is so good!!!!!!" She never complained that her first package took 11 months to get here. She only was grateful that we received it! I HOPE that would be my response. But I'm not sure it would be.
And something to make you laugh.
You know how the pool exploded on Sunday after the baptisms? Our new joke is that it was so full of sin it exploded. (I must clarify - This is not a reflection on any who were baptized. It's just a joke.)
