Recapping...

Some of you may have heard that I was once again sick with malaria.  I thought I was suffering from hot flashes and chills, and I told myself it was my age and tried to ignore it. Anyway, it got the better of me and I realized I had malaria and I was in bed most of the week.

I'm not 100% but I am so grateful for medicine, and a comfortable place to call home. I am also very grateful for all the beautiful people who God has blessed my life with.

Early Saturday morning I saw our gardener Francisco walking toward the house. I wondered why he was here as it was his day off.

When Kathy asked him why he was here, he said he had come to check on me. 

This dear man had just walked for over 45minutes in 90 degree weather on his day  off, just to see if I was okay!

About an hour or so later, my friend Maria who works in project life was knocking on the door!  She too had walked well over an hour in the heat to see that I was alright!

So here I sat in my house, with everything I need within reach. While these two Godly people put everything aside, on their day off, to walk many miles to check on my health!

I was so humbled and blessed by their unselfish acts of kindness. I asked myself would I have done the same for them? I may have gone to visit them, but I surely would have used a car. I would have taken my waterbottle with me, and when I was done I would have probably come home and collapsed on my bed in front of the fan!

Just no comparrison, really.

This past week I was asked to take one of the men from our church at Centro Emissor to the hospital. He had been getting worse and today needed to be seen by the doctor. So, as I sat outside the hospital waiting I had ample opportunity to observe people as they arrived as well as when they left....

Three young men one steering the bike, the other two on either side walking along holding a very elderly  women steady on the back storage rack. They gingerly lifted her off the back and I could see where they had strapped a small pillow over the metal rack for her comfort. I found myself asking God to bless them for their kindness.

A young boy maybe 5 or 6 years old with most of his right leg wrapped in a fresh clean white roll of gauze. He shuffled as he walked down the ramp, when he got to the one step, I could see him whince in pain as he had to force his knee to bend. 

I thought he must have been burned and I asked God to protect him and heal his little body.

This very old women came out limping, as she used large stick to assist her. Finally I could see she had a big white bandage wrapped around her great toe. She too needed to make her way down that one big step. As she did,  her bandaged toe ended up striking the sand. She stopped, looked down and seeing the sand covered dressing, she shook her foot with all her might and went on her way.

At one point I saw a little girl, I would say she was maybe three, four at the oldest, come strutting down the ramp. She caught my eye as she was this little peanut, just marching down the ramp, dressed pretty and very self assured!

So I sat and continued to watch and pray for people, then I noticed this same little girl return about 10minutes later. In her left hand she had a small bag of "nicy nacks", they're little snack bags, like cheese doddles...the kids here go crazy over them! 

So this girl just needed a snack, while she waited her turn to be seen. 

It's wild, I'm not sure that any of us would let our five or six year old go out of the hospital alone, cross the road and purchase their own snack. Everyone seems to learn at a very young age how to take care of themselves as well as others.

Today, Kathy and I got to keep a promise we had made several months ago, to two of our workers. 

Fransisco and Chico have repeatedly invited us to come to their homes and meet their families. Today was the day we were meant to do this. We were totally blessed by their hospitality! 

Chico had his brother shimmy up a palm tree and drop down three coconuts, which he then proceeded to to hack at with a huge machete. Once they were cleaned, he cut a small opening at the top and we each drank fresh coconut milk! We left gifts for the women in his family, prayed and explained that he needed to leave.

Next, we went to Fransico's home. His yard as well as his stick and stone home were immaculate. You could see the pride and care he takes in what he has been blessed with. His wife joined us as we prayed and thanked God for their lives as well. As we were getting ready to leave, Fransico came out with a bag of cassava for us to take home. We are so very blessed!! We left gifts and made our way home.  

All this before 10am! 

At 10 we had made plans to pick up Zito, the children, his brother, a friend, the friend's sister and cousin.  Zito wanted to bless the children with a day at the beach and he asked if we would help.

So with a stash of cookies, juice and towels we were off.....