Danielle's mom, Daphne, was the first to come see us in mid-August. She brought us a crockpot, which immediately moved her up the list in my book. Seriously though; It was refreshing to see how quickly she adapted to the climate and surroundings. In those 10 days she made herself part of the congregation. She doesn't speak Spanish, and that's the best part-she's a living testament to the fact that love does not get lost in translation. She has the perfect spirit for this kind of assignment and I gained much from her humor and wisdom. She was a great support to Danielle and me, and I cried when she left. Three days later, my parents and my sister Amber arrived. I was proud to be able to show them how well I adapted here. But in the end, I realized that my survival skills in part come from all of them. Dad got to work building and fixing things, and my mom and sister helped us get organized. It reminded me that I'd learned a lot of this so-called ingenuity right there on 44 Oxford Court. But beyond that: after 3 months of working hard to assimilate myself to this life, it was therapeutic to be around people that really do already know and understand every side of me,without apology or explanation. You lose a bit of yourself in the transition. Having them here helped me remember who I am. And of course, it was a huge relief to Mom to see that I wasn't living in squalor or dying of dengue. Sadly, because of a scheduling issue ( their airport shuttle left without me), I didn't get to say goodbye to them and I was devastated. It still hurts to think about it. But getting to have them meet my friends and students, to have them walk these streets with me, to share what I'm living with my nearest and dearest was a wonderful gift and I have never felt closer to them. Incidentally, at the time my brother was still disfellowshipped in August when they came. We were four instead of five. There was a bit of an ache in me over that, but we'll talk about how that ache was subsequently soothed a little later.
With the clouds of October came rays of light in the form of Dominique, Lorraine, and Tiffany. Dominique and LorrIne only got to be here 6 days. But their enthusiasm and joy helped us to remember what a privilege this really is. Wading through rivers to get to a territory is NOT your average Saturday. But they loved every minute of it. The brothers and sisters fell in love with them quickly. A little story about Lorraine: as we were crossing the river to return home, her umbrella was swept away. 5 brothers that had already made it safely to the riverbank suddenly dove back in into the rising waters and frantically searched for it. But it was gone. When we turned to look at Lorraine, she was in tears, and so was Maribel, a friend from my congregation. "She must have really loved that umbrella," a brother said. But Maribel and I knew that her tears had nothing to do with the umbrella. The idea that her brothers, whom she had just barely met and did not share a language, would risk themselves to get her umbrella back deeply touched her. My favorite part of this story is the fact that Maribel, without even being able to coverse with Lorraine, saw her face and just understood, and it moved her to cry too and give Lorraine a warm hug. Tiffany stayed with us for two weeks, through the weekend of our district convention. Her waist-length braids got her more attention than your average "morena" ( and we get a lot) but her affection and kindness is what really drew the brothers and sisters too her, especially the little kids ( but that also might have something to do with the fact that she kinda looks like one, hehe. Love you Tiff!).
Crossing Rio Viejo
Two weeks ago, while on another rural preaching tour, I got the news that my brother Devin had been reinstated. I was overcome with emotion; we hadn't talked in months. But a week after that, he was here with me. I never knew my kid brother was so adaptable. We slept in the humble home of a local couple and showered with a bucket of water. He endured the dust and heat in service. Didn't even flinch about the fact that my kitchen is practically outside. In the end, his conclusion was that I had a lovely congregation...and when I interpreted to him that a brother said I was a tough woman, he simply said, " yes...she is." And that did it. I left home without even being able to discuss my excitement or my anxieties with Devin, but in the end, here he was. And he was proud of me.
We have a guest room now, and many hospitable local friends. COME SEE US! You try not to be flashy or ostentatious in a place with limited resources, but when my people show up, it's a legitimate excuse to be fachente (a "show-off"). I'm rich in friends and family-that is luxe that will not be robbed and can generously be shared with the brothers and sisters here. Having friends from home visit and share experiences with us helps us stay fortified, and it makes me feel like home is really not so far away. You will be uplifted by the response you see in the territory and the love you feel from the brothers and sisters. In turn, meeting you encourages them. One sister put it this way: "Most of us will probably never afford to travel, but it's ok- the brotherhood comes to us."
Start packing!
For those who don't have Instagram or Facebook, I also have photos uploaded to Picasa:
