Musings

PC3 Team #1

Well everyone, hello again. A lot has happened since you last logged in. I will start by praising God for he is GOOD. His presence and power have been clearly evident in the past few weeks with Jason's contracting deals and with our first project team coming down. Having them here was so much fun! Every single person on the team was a blessing to know and spend time with. I hadn't really even considered getting my own hands dirty before the team came, but once the work started I saw no reason why i couldn't jump in and help. So much was accomplished on the pastors home that has just been waiting to be finished! Some people whacked at waist high snake infested grass, others installed walls and ceilings, others came behind them to "tape and float" (in other words smooth out the cracks) of the new walls and ceilings, while others created an excellent tool room. I was so refreshed and encouraged by everyone's good attitudes and ready willingness to dig in and get dirty. As you can see, my new friend Lindsey and I were struggling to move some cement wall stuff. Our muscles made it through the ordeal and all was well.So basically from morning to a few hours after lunch we worked and after that we played. All of the girls had the chance to either go up or down the mountain with me on the four-wheeler,and I sorry to say for the ones who went up, going down is a lot more thrilling...or should I say, life threatening? On one such trip my girl Alisson and I got caught behind two big trucks going steeply downhill over loose gravely road, and the fourwheeler WOULD-NOT-STOP! I looked over my shoulder at Alisson and informed her that "I have no idea what to do" so I tried to Flinstone it by digging my heels into the gravel. That didn't work so I looked over my shoulder to inform Allison that Flinstoning it was not a good idea, just to find that she had tried it too. Oops. Then I tried zigzagging it to a stop and all that did was semi slow us down while causing the big red contraption to almost flip over. Oh NO. Now what? I just HAD to do it. There was no other way. So I waited for the perfect gap of a moment to squeeze by between the trucks and the jungle and, THANK GOD, we made it untouched (except for the dirt on our shoes) to the end of the dirt road and onto the smoothest highway I've ever felt I've been on.
Well anyway, my point is that the rest of the day we played our hearts out. We went to a waterfall hole where you can jump into the water by swinging off a rope, we went to a beach that felt like a hot tub, Jason learned how to surf by getting up on his first try (doesn't it just make you sick when people are THAT good?!), we went sight seeing, etc, etc... Unlike everyone else I did NOT get to see one monkey, one tucan, and especially not even one sloth. Grrrrr. Yes, I am a bit bitter about that but I will search and search until i find one of each of those and keep you posted when I do.

O yeah, how could I forget our other near death experience? We went on what I like to call the "Gaston Midnight Jungle Death Trail." One of the team leaders, and no I won't say your name, had the brilliant idea for us to go to a real waterfall at night. How cool is that right? I thought it was a brilliant idea too, and it would have been if the description of the waterfall had been accurate. The description went something like this:
Sarah: Is it safe to go at night?

Gaston (the tour guide): Oh YES! Very safe.

Sarah: Can we drive to it?

Gaston: Yes yes. You drive right to it.

Sarah: So your saying that we can drive RIGHT up to this waterfall, get out of the car and dip our toes right in the water?

Gaston: Absolutely!
So me made our very own diesel torches and went on our way. Lets just say we ended up walking downhill for over 4 kilometers (I have zero clue how far that is, but in my book, it was faaaar, on slippery rocks, red clay, and slick leaves, over red fire ant colonies (yes, they bite), down, down, down...and from there it just gets worse so I'll spare you the details. But Jehovah Jireh got us safely back to the remote town and I am sure that even as I write, people are talking laughingly about the wild midnight jungle experience and how even Gaston was a bit spooked, though he would never admit it.


Ah, life. I love it even with all it's funny quirks, and turns of events. These things bring me closer to my Father an cause me to wonder, especially marvel at his great care for his people. I couldn't finish this post quite yet without showing you a small blessed corner of the world in which I find peace and rest. This corner belongs to a friend of ours named David who lets us come and go whenever we want. He is also the owner of our puppy's momma. Sunday, when everyone was gone Jason and I went to "our spot" and relaxed a few hours away reading the Word and dozing in the breeze. I think this is the most ingenious bench in the world. You just whack a few cuts into two palm trees and place a board between the two cracks. I like it so much! I hope you are all well in body and spirit and faithfully seeking to deepen your knowledge and love for the Lord. I end as I began, I praise God for he is GOOD.




Lesson of the day: "Quiero ver un Oso Perezoso" is Spanish for "I want to see a Sloth."