Loneliness

It's interesting that after being away from the U.S. for about a year, JM and I are experiencing culture shock on a whole new level. Everything we knew would be a struggle about Latin culture seems to be amplified here in Santa Marta- time, language, fact-finding, and assumptions of us being wealthy gringos. We have adjusted little by little. We now know to wake up at the time someone says they will pick us up in the morning. We have gotten better at understanding "cotton ball in mouth" Spanish. And we've learned to not offer to pay and to ask the same question multiple times to try to find a answer that's actually true, not just what we want to hear. But not having other Americans close by has been tough. Add that to our lack of reliable internet for communication and it makes for lonely times. And yet, I think The Lord is using these times to better relate to these kids. While there are pros and cons to an institutional setting (vs private homes), I think one of the biggest struggles for these kids is loneliness. Yes, they are surrounded by peers their same age, but they ache for their parents, their siblings and home. I think of summer camp and even in the middle of all the activities and fun, sometimes you just miss family. This weekend, two of the kids broke down in my arms, one in silent tears, the other sobbing, because they missed home. And all I could do was hold them and love on them and pray for God to comfort their hearts, because honestly it's just tough. I think of Mercy Me's song "Homesick" and of how as believers we ache for heaven, to be in the presence of our Heavenly Father. And I am comforted that even though we're not there right now, our Father is totally accessible- all of the time.

Struggles of a Parkie

One time while in Parque Tayrona last year, we met a guy traveling
South America from Austin, Texas. When we made the Texas connection
he asked where I went to high school. After saying Highland Park, he
was so impressed he gave me his awesome Panama Jack hat stating that I
deserved it for being so adventurous, coming out of such a snobby
school. I typically don't volunteer the fact that I went to HP, and
try hard to not appear part of the stereotype. Thank God for summer
camp where I had to actually "rough it" for a month without air
conditioning.

But as tough as I think I am, my roots run deep. I realize we are far
from Africa, but Bolivia was tough with dirty water, widow-makers and
smells that would make you gag. And since we've been in Colombia this
time around, my creature comforts have hit an all time low. We are
currently residing in an apartment for free that belongs to a
missionary who is undergoing chemo in Bogotá. Free is great, but we
share the place with a mouse, an extended family of roaches, a pool of
green slime, a shower that does not drain, and smell of mildew that no
matter what we try, simply does not go away.

So we where happy (ish) to head to Venezuela to get our visa. A
wonderful woman hosted us and even gave us her own bedroom (Latin
hospitality is amazing). However, Venezuela has water problems. So
much so that it's very typical to have giant plastic container of
water in your shower with a pitcher so in case you have no water that
day, you have a way of washing yourself. Sounds reasonable for sure,
but stagnate water attracts one thing- Mosquitos! So every night in
bed we were attacked, even in a high rise building.

I'm not sure why I'm being so tested in this, but man oh man, to have
a place with some creature comforts just sounds overwhelmingly
wonderful! And just to add insult to injury, we just came back "home"
to a bed with mouse poop all over it! Please pray this Parkie finds a
new place soon!