8/13/2011

Yesterday we had our first Thai lessons. I feel like that’s going to be the most difficult class for me, but also one of the most rewarding. It’s difficult to be trying to learn so many new things all at the same time, but at the same time, I understand that this total immersion is going to be the most intense, individual opportunities of my life. Today and yesterday, a phrase kept running through my mind: “This is what I was created for”. We went out to the slums yesterday evening, after our Thai lessons, and that was probably one of the most shocking, amazing, interesting, fun, scary thing I have ever encountered. I thought houses in Mexico were bad… they were absolutely nothing compared to what I saw yesterday. The houses were built on 3 meters of public land; squished between two high-end condo/apartment buildings. A water run-off ran below it, and the houses were built on concrete brace-type things that intersected “sidewalks”. The first area we stopped at had two or three little girls running around, and a couple of older ladies. One of the older ladies was holding a baby boy, about 4 months old, if we understood right. He was the cutest thing… but he didn’t even have a diaper. He had a dirty shirt on, but other than that, he was completely naked. Alan prayed with one of the ladies while we played with the baby, and looked around. Continuing on, we walked down the sidewalk between the house- maybe 2 feet wide, and darker than anything. We got to a house, where Alan poked his head in and chatted for a while. This house had a girl who looked like she was about 9 months to a year old, and a maybe two year old. After talking for a few minutes, Alan told us that the lady there wasn’t the mother of any of these children- she had three total. They were all her grandchildren; she was taking care of them because their parents were in jail. She was telling Alan that they had no milk for the baby. That was when I realized what we were really seeing and experiencing. These people are living as squatters on government property, living day to day. And some days, it’s not enough. Some days, you can’t give your baby granddaughter enough to eat. Talk about a reality check. We kept walking for about another 2 minutes, when we came across a girl who was probably about 8-10ish that Alan knew. We stopped and Alan pulled out a guitar and sang some songs with the kids, it was so much fun to get to sit and listen. Then we sat and prayed for the community for a couple of minutes, and Muy, the little girl, came over and we prayed for her. Apparently, her mother refuses to let her go to church with Alan, but is fine with us praying for her, and hanging out with her. We ended up going to Muy’s house, and praying over her house with her mother. Her Mom invited us in, and was super sweet. Muy’s grandmother was crippled, laying in a bed next to the door. After we prayed with everybody, Muy’s mom asked us what our impression of the slum was, which was a really brave question in my opinion. If I were living in that kind of situation, I don’t think that I would be brave enough to ask people that question. But she seemed genuinely curious. I wasn’t really sure how to answer, so I kind of stayed quiet. In all honesty, I was feeling blessed, and almost ashamed of all the things that I have. So much of it is so unnecessary. But I’m diverging. Muy’s mother was telling us how her mother’s wheelchair was too wide for the walkway to exit the slum,  so when it was necessary, the only way to get her out was to carry her; one person holding her arms, and one person holding her feet. The loss of dignity that the woman must experience so often broke my heart, but as we were leaving the house, the woman turned over in her bed, so she was facing us. I smiled at her, and she gave the biggest grin back, it was so cute. I touched her hand as I walked to the door, and she squeezed it so hard…. I don’t usually like old people, but she was pretty cute. It was very touching. We walked down about three more houses, and Muy and some little boys followed us, so Alan pulled out some color crayons and paper, and left the three of us girls with a guitar and coloring stuff and about 8 kids. We were coloring, and practicing our Thai, and having a blast. The we pulled out the guitar and played with it for a few minutes while Alan was talking. Kelsey started playing “I’ll Fly Away” on the guitar and the three of us just got in this three part harmony…. It was a total God thing. That’s when that phrase popped in my head…. “This is what I am created for”. I don’t know how life is going to pan out. I don’t know what God’s plan for me is specifically… but I know that it is this… being empowered by God to minister to people that seem to have so much less than I am blessed with; but recognizing that they have the same simple need as I do; Christ’s forgiveness, and grace and mercy, and new life through him.