7.25.09

So, today, we once again realized this isn’t our culture.

One of our original assignments was to work with the family camp for the month of July. Soon it became just a weekend in July, this weekend. Last night at dinner, it became just a day out at the farm. When we were on our way out the farm, it became just an afternoon…at our house. So, today all we did was run around like crazy with twenty plus crazy children. I have never had so much fun playing football…American football, which they are terrible at. It was so funny to watch, I’m sure. Then we tried playing Ultimate with the football. That didn’t go so well either. Then we played Keep Away. That worked as long as we let them tackle one another. Oh well.

I think we did dishes for a few hours while the parents continued to meet. At one point, Bethany came in and said, “I don’t know what they’re saying out there, but Ariella’s yelling. I mean really yelling.” I looked out and sure enough, Ariella, this young, independent, petite woman with fire red hair, was standing and pointing and screaming. I asked about it later and Josie said, “Yes, Ariella brings a powerful word.” Apparently.
We asked one of the women in charge what time she thought it would be over (we had to leave at 6:30 for dinner with a pastor). She thought maybe six. Or eight. Or nine. Maybe. I asked what the plan for feeding the kids was. She said give them suckers and chips until dinner. Yeah right. Sugar? In our house? I don’t think so. But they did…they ate a ton, till I thought they would be sick. I asked later when they would have a break in the meeting for one of the mothers to feed her child. She said they were just getting started (at 3:00 pm) and that they had a long agenda. It’s just so not American. Not wrong. Not bad. Just…new.

Again, we’re learning to say, “Wow…that’s different.”

Today has been a good reality check for me. At first I felt a bit invaded by the family camp. I mean, we’re staying this house, and really living in it. By that I mean that it was super messy and not at all ready for company. I was inconvenienced that they would not even warn us, nonetheless ask us. Then it hit me. They moved out of their home for ten weeks so that we could all live together. They were inconvenienced for ten weeks so we could be comfortable. I’m so quick to claim things as my own, so obsessed with having my own space and time and things. I’m ashamed at my attitude and grateful for the correction.

No Chandre again today. I’m not as worried about her as I was last time. I found out that she is five, and she’s a good size for a five year-old, which means she eats more often than I thought! Praise God! Please pray still that she would come back, but also that she finds another food source since we’re leaving soon.