Me and my little boys
Cold. That word has a very different definition than it did to me seven months ago! Cold would have meant 30-40 degrees before, enough that I would start shivering and teeth chattering. Last night I started shivering and it was 75! This is the wonderful type of cold that has hit us in the last week! Lots of rain and with it, a very refreshing temperature!
Last Wednesday was very hectic. I ran around taking care of a once again sick Nora, along with some small scrapes and sprains. Because of all the rain, we have a lot of skin illnesses right now. Fungus, ringworm, impetigo, and more fungus. I've told the sm's that epidemiology students should take a trip to an orphanage. I spend much of my time watching a virus land on a child and slowly float around campus from house to house. At this point, I can guess where it's going next, how long it will last, and who will avoid it within the first few days! The virus of the last couple weeks has involved a headache and congestion followed by a sore throat and stomach ache. Pretty all-encompassing, minus a fever.
The morning started early as I went to the Guerreros to cook breakfast. My concentration was severely impaired as I knew my dad was having his last interview to become the pastor at Pioneer Memorial Church that evening. After many months of the private process, I was very ready for it to be public, but I also was stressed. I found myself staring off into space and desperately trying to drag my mind back across the ocean to Bolivia.
The day ticked by slower than any other day so far. After dark, the children and house parents gathered in the schoolyard to celebrate Day of the Sea. You may be wondering why that is celebrated in a completely landlocked country! The story is that Bolivia used to have ocean access, but Chile stole it from them. It's quite a sore topic, and because of that fact, they still hold these candle-lit night vigils for their missing water.
I decided to stay back and wait to hear from my family, and as I stood on the porch of the Guerreros chatting with Treson, I saw a little tiny figure wandering through the dark. The figure was soon close enough to be identified as Pinky, the tiniest four-year-old I've ever seen and one of the newest members of the Dalias house. This was the third time since she had arrived 3 days before that I had found her either running away from school or home. "Where are you going Pinky?" I called out to her. "To my house," Came the little high-pitched response. I walked over and picked her up. "Honey nobody's home right now." I walked back to the porch and continued my conversation. Soon I felt her head plop down on my shoulder. She was asleep!
I sat down on the porch and watched as the kids marched by with their lanterns, Hermano Juan yelling out marching commands as they went. It was almost eery, a bit cultish! But the kids were very excited.
Sarita
Performing their marching ceremony
The kids returned to their houses and I started doing medicine rounds. Suddenly, I got the message! We were moving, and now it was public. I ran around to the houses, taking care of people and telling my fellow sm's the news. Looking forward to the new adventure God is taking my family on.
I walked into the Harding house late to find little Florita sitting on the kitchen counter. I carried her to bed and laid there as she slowly drifted off to sleep after midnight, and then tiptoed upstairs to my room.
On Thursday morning, I was exhausted. The stress that had been going on in the back of my head since October was finally out and I could relax! It hadn't been bad stress, just something always there. I spent the morning chatting with Elizabeth, Treson, Emilianne, and Katie-Jane about life. We've started doing these challenges where we time to see how long we can go without talking about the kids. It never lasts longer than 5-10 minutes!
I've been behind on charting and got a lot done in the afternoon, along with talking with Nora, who was once again sick. Every virus catches up with her sooner or later, and it hits her harder than any other kid. She had been stressed after a phone call with her mom and reverted back to her temper tantrums at meals, crying in school, and not wanting to be with the other kids. I started her on some new medicine and we're praying it will work!
Friday morning was full of groceries, cleaning, charting, and the usual Friday errands. There was a blockade in town, so nobody could go anywhere. It was also pouring down rain, so everyone hunkered down in their houses. Sabbath came in calmly with worship in the church and everyone drifting off to sleep.
The little ones enjoyed the rain and post-rain mud immensely
3-year-old Rogelio offered to help me carry the groceries!
Sabbath morning was a copy of the previous one. A girl hurt her arm, it was a possible fracture, and so Alex and I drove her to the radiology clinic for an x-ray. On the way, we got stuck in the mud, and Hermano Juan had to pull us out with the tractor! It reminded me of driving in snow back at home. Thankfully, the x-ray came back with two whole bones pictured and we made it back in time for church! I've started sitting with the Guerreros during church to help with their little ones. They keep me busy!
A low-quality picture but I think it captures the chaos pretty well!
Maddy and I cooked at the Guerreros for lunch and made sloppy joes, a favorite of us sm's and now a favorite of the boys too! Then we took some much-needed naps and I talked to my family for quite a while. Josy, Maddy, Lisiane, and I made donut holes and hot chocolate for supper which was a treat we hadn't done in a while. Everyone was so excited! I went to bed as early as I could, because with Carlo being gone, I knew I would have my hands full in the morning.
Over 100 donut holes
I was right. Sunday morning dawned with 14 boys excitedly running around me as I cooked breakfast, monitored chores, and helped break up disagreements. Emir got stung by a bullet ant, Juancito hit one of the younger ones, Diego refused to obey several times... all normal Sunday occurrences, but usually Carlo is there to go through the struggles with me! I finally had them all playing peacefully around me and was able to make burritos for lunch. Lisiane joined us to eat, which was nice! Then we watched some Shaun the Sheep, went to the store down the street (also quite scary without Carlo), and I made banana bread for supper. Hermano Juan and Hermana Emi returned in the late evening and I told everyone goodbye in time to go give medicines. I was quite proud of having a good day with all those little ones!
Breakfast with the boys!
Emir fell asleep after his bullet bite
I woke up Monday morning to the roar of an absolute downpour on the tin roof above me. I finally crept out of my bed, put on my rain boots, and started making house calls. A couple hours later, after delivering some groceries too, I returned to my house, absolutely soaked to the skin, through my rain coat, in my boots, through my scrub pants. I hid the rest of the day, charting in the clinic.
Our yard turned into a lake!
We had some blessed rain showers this week, but we were also showered with God's blessings. From the cooler weather, to new little faces, to motivation to work, to the kind attitudes of the kids, God showed his love for us over and over. So many times the work is discouraging and it's hard to find the good in a day, but when you stop to think about it, you can see God's love in everything. He is the one that gets us up, gets us through the day, and makes it a blessing. I hope His blessings are evident in your day too!