Play dead

Police: "paws in the air!"

Sisko: "Ok man, just take it easy!"

Police: "Don't move!"

Sisko: "Don't shoot"

Sisko's girl: "Nooooooo! Aaaaaah!"

Would you like to sleep like this?

Stay strong

In the face of difficult circumstances. Those that know Lilian can be praying for God to come into her heart, to change her from the inside out (sorry for those that cling to free will), and also be praying for Valerie. The struggles, problems, denials, and wide swings from hard to softer heartedness are taking their toal on...both of them, Lilian seeing the consequeences for her actions and Valerie as her heart aches and she works so hard to do what she can to see a change in Lilian.

You can also pray for the burgeoning (did I spell that right? Spell check in blogger seems to not wrk vry well) women's counseling ministry. There have been some problems there in communication and understanding that the project is independent and not a Church ministry, and that is causing some problems. I am to meet with pastor Jorge this afternoon to talk about a bunch of different things relating to the mission and the Church, and then at 4:00 the leadership group and Valerie (possibly including myself if there is someone to watch the niños) will meet with him to hopefully straighten everything out.

And while you are at it...keep praying for the work in San Juancito and Cantaranas, for San Juancito that the construction would be completed soon (we just recently helped them purchase the needed materials to complete the roof...not in concrete as we hoped, but tin metal, as we did not have enough funds for a second floor at this time), and for a smooth transition as that would be the time Jonatan would take over in San Juancito as well as with the new work in Cantaranas.

Thanks to those of you that have been such an encouragement in this difficult time. Luckily this all happening is not by coincidence, and God is guiding and directing us through it all. Praise God for His faithfulness, love, guidance, and direction.

Fly me to the moon

Yesterday, well, it was a day to praise God in several different ways.

Some frustrating, with some issues at the clinic (people working with people...to be expected) the kids (they are children born in sin after all...they do a pretty good job over all), and just work to be done and for some reason only 24 hours in a day.

I had to think to remember the frustrating part. God be praised in that as well, because He is in charge through it all and guiding and directing us through/in it.

Through what can only be many God directed steps through several lives...an opportunity came up through a brother with frequent flyer miles who wanted to donate them to the mission. By the end of the day (the end of the day!) I had in my inbox the tickets I am going to need for the trip to the US this fall. I had been struggling with that for a little while because they were going to cost the mission upwards of $1,300 when I checked prices online.

Coincidence that this year I am planning on flying three times in October-November and these miles were available to use? Coincidence that this man who donated them was moved to donate them by God, and in time for us to use them?

I argued with my grandma when I child, but I learned some years ago what she already knew...there is no such thing as a coincidence. There are Godincidences. Coincidences are just another way people try to put God in a box, another way to diminish what is God's absolute and total sovereignty over absolutely everything. I am starting to get on my soap box. I better get done and back on point.

Praise God not just for these tickets...but that I could get just a glimpse of Him working in many lives just in this tiny little event, and may He forgive me yet again (yes, I am already forgiven...another talk for another time) for being so short sighted and focused on what was just in front of my eyes.

A little help

Friday I picked up Mark and Susan. Mark works for Delta, so they were able to fly down here without any major moolah, and be here until Monday. It is always nice to have visitors, and when they come to help, even more so!

Susan helped out with Valerie, especially this weekend since we added another member to the family (how corny does that sound) with a kitten from Lilian's family. Sisko is his name. (you will have to ask if you are curious as to how we came about that name.) Not to mention being an encouragement to Valerie, the kids, and Lilian, helping get things done and have some fun...it is just nice to have her here.

Mark came down to get a better look at the clinic and the new walls, how we are doing on the construction process, and how he can help us (even further...he has already helped us a ton get donations that are currently on their way here on a Master Provisions container) with the wiring of the building when we get to that phase.

Add to that helping me at home with some computer/technical issues...quite a few of them, and I feel like I just jumped ahead several years on the technology game. (I now have a fax!....and a copier!....and a scanner, all in one! Whoo hoo!) And can better work into the night now by better accessing all our documents and things from the laptop wirelessly. Very cool.

Now I need to get going and put all those improvements to work!

Week wrap up, I guess

I see that upon coming back to the blog...it has been a week. That just typifies for me this past week. I had lofty, nice, good, and tremendously complex goals of getting the mission finance reporting organized, up to date, and something for our board to get a look at to see where we go from here, how, when, etc. Changing this big part of the work has already produced fruit, but getting it all written (or keyboarded) down, printed out, etc. takes time to do it right. Hopefully when I get this all done, subsequent months will be easier. Bringing my mental concept of receipts for everything and every receipt in its place to a third world country, a mission made up of professional people...but not accountants, and this guy who thinks he knows what he wants but sometimes finds himself at a dead end confused...is quite an interesting row to hoe, as it were.

Then last week happened. Emails had to be answered, things had to be purchased, etc. Not to mention that our lost wayword container of excess donations from back in November was finally corraled and unloaded, and then right after that the latest clothing container (sent about a month after the other one if that gives you a taste of the mixed up nature of that one) was unloaded on Saturday.

Every day was productive, just not as I had intended. Guess what I hope to get accomplished this week?

You put the lime and the coconut

You shake 'em all up. Valerie got back to the clinic today, and did not come home until about 6:30. That happens when you have 20 patients or more. Wow!

Our latest intern Micah, close to graduating as a MD very soon, also started today. He was a Godsend, since a man came in this morning that had tried to separate two family dogs from a fight...and one dog decided to take several pieces out of him. Two hours later he was almost whole again.

Valerie reported, among other things "all day there were patients...everywhere!" All the more need for that new clinic being built. Time to put more lye and the concrete and mix it all up!

Back on terra firme

Valerie made it back today...and might I add, that the trip beginning yesterday is an example of answered prayers, because we were relatively certain she would not be able to arrive until next week, which would not have been a problem, but it is good to have her back now.

The group departs tomorrow afternoon after some souvenir shopping. Small but good group, very flexible, and we were able to get quite a bit done while they were here. Included in that is the first part of the walls to go up on the new clinic. There is a basic layer of stucco already applied, pretty exciting stuff, even if there is quite a bit more work yet to be done.

Pray for Cantaranas, the clothing store there is struggling in its first few weeks, and we are depending on that to provide for Jonatan's salary. We visited there this week to distribute corn. Some families were chosen based on their extreme poverty, some to encourage some people who Jonatan has already witnessed to, to encourage them and again invite them to come ot the services they are starting.

Also pray for three families in Sampedrana, Gender is reaching out to three very closed families, and is some process is being made, but he is asking for prayer during this delicate time.