Thursday, July 22, 2010

Mission Trip:Costa

July 20 and then some

Headed for bed – but not before I tell you about the most arrogant position I’ve even taken, and the broken humility that came on its heels.

………

I wrote that sentence 2 days ago. It is now July 22.

I have sweat and re sweat and then sweat again.

I have built cinderblock footings, moved concrete and mounds&mounds of dirt.

Today I’m going out with the medical team into the villages. They are taking medical surveys for the clinic that we are building. Two days Drew made a visit. Last night, one of the Drs on the trip told me he had followed up with the child and mom and that Drew had saved that child’s life. Not heroic measures, but with water and Tylenol.

10 of thousands of people die daily, all over the world, due to a lack of fresh water.

10 billion dollars would supply fresh water.

That’s what American’s spend on ice cream each year.

Americans spent 600,000 billion on Christmas each year.

We are 5% of the world population and consume 40% of the world’s resources.


And here is the point I started on July 20.


And then I bring my fat, free voting, Christian, American butt over to save the day.

One small matter of fact, on top of all that: I haven’t had the common decency to learn their language before I swoop in to save the day.

The mighty American. What a crock.

And so, I break my back over a ditch. Lay tile as beautifully as I can. Sand down school desks and pray over each one. Hoist cinderblocks over rebar, and wonder, all the while… Will this change me.

I want to be changed.

Please God.

Change me.

Cuan Grande es Dios.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Mission Trip:Costa Rica

Sunday, July 18 and then some

I hear monkeys! And I’m not talking about about Tova and Phil HA! Actual monkeys. They do a groan/bark thing. How WEIRD is that??

I have to tell you – Tova sat in with our little small group tonight. She was talking about God, and what God has given each girl. She told the girls how beautiful they were, inside and out. She told them that God has blessed them and they need to know it and do it.

I started thinking about my small groups, and Sunday school classes growing up. I was a TOTAL misfit – not bad – just the wrong fit.

I remember my Sunday school teacher – I guess I was in Jr High ish. She was really together, beautiful, demure, organized, holy and whatever else. I know she meant well – REALLY well – but the message I heard Sunday/Wednesday after Sunday/Wednesday after Sunday/Wednesday was that if I wasn’t quiet and demure: translate: monovanilla – I wasn’t really a good fit as a Christian girl.

Now there’s NO WAY she could have meant for me to hear that (giving her benefit of the doubt) but that’s what I heard.

MAN O MAN did I spend a years trying to fit in with her ideas!! One year I even signed yearbooks as ‘God’s Handmaiden’!!! Can you believe it???? Ick. Blach. Gag me!

As I listened to Tova I thought: What if SHE had been my mentor, leader, teacher? Loving who I was, the heart of me. Seeing it and applauding God in me. Imagine – all the goofy, singing, dramatic, insecure, hopeful, confused, boy crazy, struggling, loving little bits of me being adored by someone who was convinced that God knew what He was doing when He dreamed me up.

These girls and guys are blessed to be in her care. Her momma heart is big. Way bigger than her body – though not big as her laugh.

Time for bed now.

I want to dream about the will of God tonight. Not a ‘what is the will of God for my life’ dream, but I want God to appear to me and tell me if there really is just one will per life.

One.

And if you don’t hit it square in the eye, you’re sunk.

Now, there is a LOT about that thinking that would play well with my life, but I really have doubts about it being the heart of God at work.

Monday July 19

I have no more finger prints.

My back is shot.

My knees are swollen.

It’s very pretty.

Going to dinner, then worship, then bed.

Cuan Grande es Dios, and mi booboo’s.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Mission Trip:Costa Rica




Saturday July 17, and then some:

First of all, I guess I was the last to know that you could GO to Costa Rica and NOT see a beach. Up until 20 minutes before I got to DFW

I thought I was ‘giving of myself’ at, on or near sand and water.

If I sit very still I can feel a little briar patch creeping up around my we-are-the-world heart.

I am currently sitting in DFW waiting for my flight.

International travel being what it is, I have DAYS to poke around the shops. The bookstores are always my favorite. I found a book called, ‘How to Change Someone You Love’.

I called my boyfriend immediately. I knew he would be just as excited as me. I told him he could read it when I’m done.

Next, I spy with my little eye, a ‘Green’ bible. Really?

Then I wandered to Ben and Jerry’s. I found the perfect flavor, asked for a single/small cone. I was told that their small cones come with 2 scoops. GREAT! How cool!! That’s so customer servicy, so Ying & Yang, which is just so Ben & Jerry! So I picked my #2 flavor and slid over to the cash register. I noticed the cash register had a message on its read out screen. W

e are

accustomed to the innocuous ‘Have a Nice Day’, but Mr.’s Ben and Jerry take every opportunity to make a statement. This message read, ‘Have a Euphoric Day’.


Totally loving that… then I was charged for my small cone. $5.27. I asked if was laced with opium, which would then explain the euphoria…

Btw:My house is 80% boxed up for the move my kids and I are making across town 4 days after I arrive back home. That means that even though I’ve been packing in a way that would assure that I’m lacking NOTHING for the mission trip, I still had to open 7 sealed boxes.

It is HOURS LATER… plane was delayed by 3 hours. Mechanical trouble. New plane. Herd 60+ kids to oppositeside of airport. Take tram. Tram broke. Had to get off. New tram: Twilight Zone experience. Found plane and sat down on it (seat, not wing).

We landed in San Juan, Costa Rica and are now sitting on the floor with our passports in hand. It’s midnight. Computers went down. We have a 2 hour bus ride ahead of us. And the truth is, we could be in this airport for several hours. On this floor.

Oh My Goodness.

It is now morning.

We arrived at Hotel Bambu @ 3am.

My room is gorgeous. Very simple/utilitarian.

What is this wood on the floor??? And it’s EVERYWHERE! Even the outdoor walkways are wood. The view from my balcony is ridiculously stunning. I can hear critters… and if I listen very carefully, a driving bass line – who brought a boombox???

The air is very thick.

B’fast @ 8:

The coffee at breakfast was the smoothest slick slippery brew I’ve ever tasted in my life. I ate my weight in mango – it was perfect mango.

Every morning at b’fast akid will be giving their faith testimony. That’s pretty sweet – sometimes the choir needs to be sung to!

I think what the kid said this morning is pretty right on thinking for most kids that have spent some years in church and the grown ups they grow up to be.

His struggle is with maintaining a spiritual high. He is hoping to be set on fire during this trip – something sustainable.

As much as we all would like that, we know – those of us who are a little further on the journey – it doesn’t happen. Euphoria is not sustainable.

Instead the journey with God is littered with twists, turns, battles and sometimes even terminal wrecks of faith.

If you make it even further in the journey, you realize the highly coveted ‘euphoria’ you’re sporting has more to do with what you have personally come to know: skin graphs can cov

er the deepest woundings: than the celebration of having maintained dignity thru a bone crushing experience good Christians like to call ‘seasons’.

But that’s just me.

Dpt for church @ 9:

I’m told the entire service is in Spanish. RIGHT ON! Have to leave it to my Spirit.

Cuan Grande es Dios,

Kate

PS: ok. explain THIS!!