Hola! Un semana down....

I am learning a different kind of footwashing--as I write this, Chaplin, my hostess's little French poodle, is licking my feet. Why they are interesting, I don't know--don't know if I want to know! But I am also learning service and humility by not doing anything. I'm a do-er, a planner. Now is my time to sit back, to learn, to watch, to observe...to admit that I don't have answers, to not jump in with solutions, to not try to help everyone and everything because I don't have the language (and more importantly) or the cultural knowledge to help. I thikn that this, too, is a form of footwashing, of service--to respect the people here enough to want to learn from them instead of giving answers. 

It is also a time to cement my identity further in our Triune God, what He says about me, rather than in what I do. As I was writing a friend, I realized that as I'm moving onto the next step, to Siguatepeque, where I will begin teaching English, I am combating fear--fear of change again (once I know something of "normal"!), fear of failure, and even fear of God, I realized--which, when I could put words to it, recognized it as a lie from Satan, but it was there. 

But how great is our God--he is a God who knows our weaknesses more than we do, but stoops down to comfort us, save us, love us, redeem us, and still uses us. 

He brought me out into a spacious place; 

He rescued me because he delighted in me. 

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 

You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; 

You stoop down to make me great. 

Ps. 18:19,32,35

Animal Project--On Tuesday, I visited Plan Olala, a small town in the mountains, with Carlos and Tessi from the Samaritan's Purse animal project. They give animals, and then the first offspring is passed onto another person in the village. They concentrate on the poorest provinces. 

Children's Project--I went with a group to see one aspect of their children's project--I got to play with children. The church there has a community center. One aspect that I appreciated was they had a small micro-enterprise there for impoverished, unemployed women. They make tortillas, and in the front part of the room, separated by a fence, their children play and one woman teaches the pre-schoolers their alphabet, etc. 

AIDS program--Most of my time was spent with the AIDS program. They offer free tests to find out if you are HIV positive/negative, and offer help and solutions. They also share the gospel at the end of the testing in a very, very connected way. :) I was surprised at the myths people have about AIDS--one of the most chilling is that "If I have sex with a lot of people, it will get passed onto them and drain out of me." Other myths include the fact that men CANNOT be faithful and are not expected to. 

Overall--I have been so impressed by people's friendliness and generosity. When one is feeling particularly helpless, one is very, very appreciative. 

The future--On Saturday, Winnie, a missionary with CAM International, is picking me up and then she and I will go to the Choloma church on Sunday (where Mom and the team from Grace Point church visited). Tuesday, I will go with Winnie to her ministry, teaching Bible in public schools. On Wednesday, I am going to Siguatepeque, where I will be, Lord willing, for the next few months.