Friday, November 20, 2015
Stop and Rest
Colleen and Alan have been living in the city for the last few months,
taking care of baby so this is the first time home since Joshua was born, a
reflective time, moments of looking around checking spaces and corners and
cupboards, mostly for bugs and scorpions but also to get reacquainted with
home.
Loralee and I had fallen asleep in our makeshift beds on the upstairs deck,
under mosquito netting, to the sound of the jungle rain, an adventure in
itself. We were awakened in the night by
Howler Monkeys, no doubt swinging in the trees just beyond our heads; in
concert with the trills of the tree frogs and crickets, it was a cacophony of
sound but also strangely comforting…home in the jungle.
The morning brought breakfast cooked by the men, fried plantain; fresh
cut grapefruit and boot coffee; grounds boiled hard in an open pot, strong, steaming,
hot. We sat scattered around the front
deck reading the cards of encouragement brought from home, letters, quotes,
verses, words…we took this time to share a few of those messages resting in the
Lord.
“Tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment You know where I am.”
Psalm 139:3
This is what this day would be, resting, listening, learning and loving. Alan took Jason and Robin out through the
back gate into the jungle venturing out to the neighbouring hut in the back, to
say hello but more than that, to install plumbing for a sink and running water;
working together , establishing relationship, encouraging, serving,
loving. Jason and Robin were thankful
for their footwear when boards were moved aside and out slithered a poisonous snake. At home where the adventure was not so alive,
we women visited amongst each other chatting with Colleen and supporting her in
conversation and encouragement, bathing the baby, reading with Kalea…again and
again and again, on the porch, nestled on the floor or snuggled in the hammock.
Leaving Colleen to chat in Spanish with a visitor, we slipped into our
boots and walking shoes to investigate the road outside of the gate, uphill to
the river, spilling waterfalls, tin fences, wide streams, slipping out of our
shoes forging through, rocky bottoms, clear water bubbling over…peace at the
end of the road. Turning around we
ventured past the gate down the road to peer into the yards of Alans neighbours,
simple lives, huts with open doors, dogs, hens and chicks, people sitting
watching us watch them…with a wave calling out “Ola”
We lugged in our 12 large suitcases, unwrapping and unpacking
everything we brought along, boating supplies for Alan, water pumps, tools,
equipment, books and gifts for Kalea and the baby, supplies for the camp in
Yaviza and gifts to take out to the communities we would be visiting.
Evening came soon and we enjoyed a dinner of fried plantain, stirred
with apple and onion and garlic served on rice, while tuning in to Alans plan
for travelling to the camp in Yaviza. We
shared Highs and Lows of the day…Colleen blessed in rest and Alan thankful for
the flexibility of our team…guitar playing, drums, singing…resting in the Lord.
We all loved that.
