The full moon illuminates the sea in a silver glow. It’s bright enough to walk the path tonight. I’ve had the privilege the last few weeks to work alongside a doctor not only getting to learn more how to help those who come to the clinic, but also enjoying the opportunity to sit and chat with more people along the path as we made rounds daily into the community to see those who have a hard time making it to us. So we’ve drained boils, sutured severed fingers and pulled a bullet from an ankle. One of the fingers was the worst. First time any of my suturing learning opportunities has almost made me queasy. It didn’t help that it came directly on the tail of a going away dinner for the family who has been with us these last few weeks. Nonetheless it is a joy to serve here. Officially finished the 10 week training and study portion and now have moved into a staff position, which in actually means very little change in daily life. I just don’t have hours of reading due each week...though come to think of it I think I have a paper I need to still write...
I think a few of my favorite moments the last few days have been having a little boy fall asleep in my arms while we watched a movie out on the open air deck. With Zookeeper projected on the side of the building, there was nowhere else in the world that could have been better than sitting on the floor of the wood deck with this little guy. Double joy when a few nights later he once again nestled in during Nemo. This evening while a group of children played games on the deck I found myself sitting with a lady I hadn’t yet met, and we just got to talk and laugh together for a while enjoying a cool breeze and the beauty of the night. That cool breeze is much welcome. It gets a bit humid and hot from time to time, but I am grateful not to be too bothered by this. We’ve been having some generator trouble for which you can pray, but so blessed that there is a fan at night. My house becomes more and more home day by day.
I’d been meaning to post something and wanted to share with you some things that Jesus has been showing me lately, so I kept putting off a post until I could put all that together coherently, but alas, that does not seem to be happening; the weeks get away from me. So here are some tidbits and the deeper reflections will just have to come later; too tired for that now.
In the last few weeks another new adventure would be the English classes we are leading on a nearby island. The 25 of so Honduran men who attend vary greatly in their English skills, but all are eager to learn more, so gracious to help me with my poor Spanish when I try to explain something, and all and all it’s a wonderful time. We go through our usual full day and twice a week rush off right when the afternoon school gets out, going over to the island by way of a small boat. Some nights the sea has been quite rough. We usually leave with the sunset behind us, then return under a canopy of stars, phosphorescent algae or something of that sort being stirred up in the wake of the boat like fireflies diving in the waves. Other nights the sea is still and the moon so bright you can actually see the different shades in the water made by the black coral or white sand underneath as we go skimming through he shallow water inside the reef. In the daylight these same areas turn the most brilliant shades of turquoise.
Well, time to call it a day. I haven’t been sleeping much, but feel very sustained, praise the Lord. Some visitors leave tomorrow and other folks arrive; every day is new and things are always changing and in flux. I’ve been overseeing more and more of the kitchen administration during visiting groups. After putting in the inventory to the director today I’ll wait to see what is available down-island when he shops tomorrow; then it’s time to create a menu for the next 42 meals with whatever items are available and come back o the boat.
