Wherever You Are

October 31

There are a whole lot of things I could write about.

Like the fact I pulled my first tooth the other night. Gabi, one of the most precious people alive, came to volunteer for a couple weeks. She is a dentist and so we took a bunch of the kids to the hospital and borrowed their dentist office and were there until midnight. She was kind enough (and trusting enough) to let us help. I’m pretty sure I was more scared than the kid but hey, the tooth’s gone, so I did something right.

Or I could write about the other day when Kevin, Dani, Courtney, and I attempted to fix a broken toilet together in one of the school bathrooms. I discovered it when checking to see if the kids had cleaned it well. It was spewing out water from some pipe and I figured that was wrong. So I got my pals to come help me. Personally I don’t have a degree in plumbing and I’m pretty sure they don’t either, so I guess that explains why after we “fixed” the toilet, it was the same. Except now it was spewing out even more water. Killin it.

 Oh I had a really bright teacher moment the other day. I was giving my four English students a test. I wrote all the words in Spanish on the board and then asked them to write the same words on their paper, but translate them to English. Right before they were finished I looked up to see, right next to the words in Spanish, all the answers in English that I had written there a couple days ago. Instead of being calm and collected and all that professional stuff I just freaked out in my chair and looked at them with wide eyes and they were all like what Teacher! Is the world ending?! and then I tried to play it cool and was like oh nothing. I’ll tell you later. Anyways they handed their tests in and “didn’t know the answers were there” and so yeah. None of them got a perfect score so I’m assuming they’re telling the truth. But not my brightest moment.

Tonight Dani, Courtney, Candace, and I were together in the room and were all sitting down on Candace’s bed and there were candles and it was so peaceful and then Candace was like “WHOA TARANTULA!” so we got the tarantula that was climbing up Courtney’s hammock out of the room and then sat back down and kept talking. And I was like whoa. What is this life.

I realized the other day that Lechuga, one of the students here (his real name is Joel…not lettuce) is taller than me. So that was rather exciting as honestly being here kind of makes wonder if I’m actually be a giraffe.

OH! The Southern SM’s here had a Skype date Friday with John, the SM President. And we also got to see Nicole Woodcock and Nicole Davis and Kim and Kenny and Kevin and Obi (is that how you spell it?) and John and we talked and laughed and got interviewed for SM Vespers and they showed us fall on the promenade and tried to telepathically send a leaf through the phone AND IT WAS SO FUN AND I LOVE SOUTHERN AND I MISS ALL OF THE PEOPLE THERE.

And I’m sure there are many, many other things I could write about. Every day unexpected things come up. Children say or do precious things. My boys make me laugh.

Like the other morning when little Rodrigo was on the counter with his little bum up in the air singing, “Ching ching ching! Shake your little tail!”

I see something that makes me stop and think how grateful and blessed I am just to be here, on this little patch of earth.

Tonight Gabi, the dentist who has been volunteering here for the past couple weeks, had to leave. She was planning on staying longer but ended up leaving today and taking her son, Carlos, who has been going to school here almost all semester, with her.

It was an exciting day for him as he got baptized today and we all went to the river together to watch and support and celebrate.

But tonight? Instead of the smile he wore this afternoon his eyes were filled with tears. Because he was saying good-bye to all the friends he’s made here. And my eyes were filled with tears too as, personally, having Gabi around has been so wonderful as she is kind and caring and she cooks for us and talks with us and always has a warm smile on her face.  And Carlos has been here for a few months now and I am really going to miss seeing him around and the sweet hugs he always gives.

And so we gathered around in a circle and prayed. And then we hugged them good-bye.

And being here has kind of made me feel like I am in a bubble. It’s kind of like a little corner of perfection: no stressful homework, no messages to respond to, no giant to-do lists. All I have to think about is what is right in front of me.

But tonight I was brought back to reality. To good-byes.

And goodness I can’t wait for when I don’t have to say them anymore.

I have seen a different piece of life here. I have gained a new perspective. And I know I have so much more to learn, so much more to experience

but what I know right now for sure

is that we have an absolutely incredible God.

The One Who created us loves us infinitely and passionately and unconditionally and forever.

And sharing kindness and love with those around us? In the small or big ways we can?

That is what life is about.

Whoever you’re with. Wherever you are.