10.23.07

Every night we shared 'highs and lows'. it helps us process where we
ourselves are at, and also to hear where everyone else is at so we can
care for each other. and get to hear the stuff we are facing and the
stuff God is doing. i tell you it seems to elevate every day! i sat
here at the table thinking about what i would share and so many
moments from today came to mind that were highs, lows. not as many
lows. but many things happened to me or through me or near me that
touched me i can't begin to recount. (makes me feel like so many of my
days back home are so dull...could i really come up with lists of
highs and lows? it's quite amazing to live life here)

some of the ones that ran through my mind from today are...
-- i spent the morning at the daycare. the kids were just darling -
old enough to sit in a chair and sing songs. i was sad because of the
ways i saw some of them developmentally stunted. it actually confused
me some of their behavior and/or look in thier eyes. but most and in
spite of those things were just kids being kids. trying to sit still
and share colors and blow bubbles from my wand and pick me for duck
duck goose (but they sang a call and response song - in portugeuse -
as they walked around the circle to pick one!). cathy and i were there
together and just laughed and slopped our way through the words when
it was our turn.
-- one of the games we had to run to the caller - kind of like simon
says - doing the action she called for. one of the runs was to hold
the ear of a friend as you ran. my ear got held by little agusto. so
darn cute. i laughed the whole way :)
-- getting to know one of the nationals - almost laughing like friends
at times - Zito, the guy who acquired my drum for me and will come
paint it on friday morning. we are trying to set up a lesson so i can
get some tips on playing it. yeah! zito has run into
some trouble but turned his life back to the Lord and working to
rebuild trust w/people here. he is SO GREAT. i love His spirit and
smile - and he has am amazing voice too! and beautiful wife and 2
adorable daughters.
-- i learned enough powerpoint from jennie sitting around after lunch
that i helped teach class this afternoon. the 5 guys who took it were
thanking God ("Graças a Deus") for the opportunity to learn it when
our time was done. and thanking us ("obrigado") too. they amaze me.
-- had some free time after my powerpoint class that i noticed the
church was open (it's right next door to all the happenings: school
classes, baking class, sewing, jeff working on electrical stuff, etc)
and so as i waited for others to finish i snuck in and started playing
on their new drum set. i have to tell you i had so much fun, it was
like a cherry ontop - a mob of about 15 ten-year-old boys came running
in. one caught my eye and gave me the thumbs up.

all in all, i had a really good day.

but here's an example of one of our team member's high/low today...
she and Pam (another CRI women who is here with her husband for a few
weeks working and planning for longer term stuff) got called on to
come pick up a woman who was almost comatose, dying to take her to
hospital. she had cerebral malaria. the family had waited too long to
take her to get medicine. the family, instead yesterday had taken her
to the witchdoctor, who gave her 'medicine' (poison) and put a curse
on her. that's what the witchdoctors do. the family thinks they are
helping them. it is cultural to take people to witchdoctors. even
though these people are now christians, they ran back to what they
knew in this time. we heard news that the woman died this afternoon.
it hit many of us hard today.

the same team member walked around the village with Project Life today
and visited people with aids in their homes. she walked through this
evange-cube with a woman and tag teaming with the brazilian women,
Marilene (think mother teresa), helped this woman dying of aids accept
Christ. our team member was so elated - it was her 'first time' being
a part of 'anything like that'.

this same woman stood up, overcame her nervousness, and gave her
testimony at the prayer meeting at church tonight. mighty mighty
stuff! God be glorified. we praise Him. blessed be the name of the
Lord, blessed be your name... blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed
be your glorious name...

i must head to bed, but wanted to give you a snapshot for today.

please pray for Pam, our CRI helper, and her husband Phil. we have
prayed to be a blessing to Janine, now it's time to spread that prayer
coverage a little more. they are retired and currently here where we
are, helping drive our large group around and host half the team. and
do their own projects as well. pam is a great photographer and
promises to burn a disc for us from our time w/her :)

good night dear ones,
jen