Two weeks and Two years

Today has been a very tough day...Today not only marks two weeks before I am off to Mid-summer, the halfway point of my ministry here in Peru but it also marks two years since my bestfriend was killed in a car wreck...I am very excited about only two weeks being left for me to go to Nasca and being united with everyone and receiving a fresh presence of people who encourage me so much...But my heart can't help but hurt today...

Not so funny thing but God definitely has a way of giving me a fresh reminder of how short life is...I have been wondering about what the tradition is for people who pass away here in Coracora since this town is built around traditions...Well today I got my answer that I really wasn´t looking for in this moment. When Albee and I were walking to the big store here to grab a few snacks and a gatorade, we heard a band in the distance...As it got closer and as we got closer, found out it was a funeral procession...casket and all...Tears couldn´t help but fall from my face, my heart started breaking as all I could think about was Tim and the very second I received the news of his death and his funeral and the casket and everything just rushing through my brain at once...

Not only was I thinking about Tim but I was thinking about my grandfather...On June 16th, it will be a year since he has passed away...It´s going to be so hard for my dad and for all my family, especially since tomorrow is Father´s Day, I am glad that the reunion doesn´t fall on Father´s Day...I don´t know how any of my family would be able to handle that...

These next few days are going to be really tough, three deaths in three days to remember...one I did not know but it was a friend of a dear friend of mine and not only that but he wasn´t a Christian so it makes it all the harder as I try to find some way to be of comfort to her at the two year mark...We were serving together in California for summer missions when we both received the news of our friends´deaths...

Okay, so off of this subject, and on to the now...things have been slow...everyone is getting sick, sadly the day after I got sick...our translator got sick with a stomach bug and then the next day our other guy got sick with a stomach bug and then yesterday we went and ate breakfast at a Pastor´s house...we had some type of tamale without meat also with some type of oatmeal chocolate colored drink...Needless to say, my stomach still wasn´t feeling up to eating something of that nature, I ate about a tamale and a half and I definitely only had a few sips of that oatmeal thing, it did not help with my stomach...Well after that, Albee got sick with a stomach bug so these days have been very slow since we have all been sick with something...I still have my cold, still trying to overcome it but I think it might stick with me until I get into a warmer place...Oh and FYI: here, they have no concept of heaters or insulation or things of that nature...the hostel we live in has no heater, no insulation, and the door in our room to our balcony has very huge spaces between it and the wall so it gets very cold in our room during the day and during the night...So that is definitely not helping with my cold here...Winter is definitely not my favorite season...

Today we are going to the Orphanage about 3:00 to play games with the kids and then share a Bible story...I am praying that they are very receptive and that their hearts are opened to God, who is their true Father...I don´t want the word ¨father¨ to be a bitter taste on this children´s lips because of situations that they might have went through, I want them to realize Who a real Father is, especially since tomorrow is Father´s Day!!! Pray for these children with me, that their hearts are open and broken for someone to be a father for them and that they choose God to fill in that gap!!!