Merry Christmas Everyone!
 It’s always a bit difficult to get in the Christmas spirit while it’s the middle of summer when almost every Christmas you can remember has been white or at least freezing cold. Christmas season here is ushered in with litchi fruit ripening, the local grocery store completing their 2 month long and ever growing decorating extravaganza, the beginning of rainy season that turns everything nice and green,

And…


                 FLYING ANTS!

These things come out in swarms after the first couple rains by the thousands upon thousands. Like most insects they are attracted to lights and since our property has the only lights for a couple of miles we get a lot of them. They are harmless so long as you are not fearful of their kamakzi flying and being dive bombed by them. After all, they are ants and not made to fly for more than the night.

The truly incredible blessing of them is that they are edible and a highly nutritritious food. We are in the middle of hunger season right now and the Lord not only provides enourmous amounts of mangos that everyone in the area can get for free, He also provides these flying, protein packed, little bombers! Just remove the wings, dry them out a bit, add some salt and fry in oil. They don’t taste that bad, even to me!

Gina and Merrieta
A continued prayer request I ask for is for Gina and Merrieta. These 2 are very special to all our hearts at the clinic. Gina first came to us a little over a year ago; 19 years old, shy, no eye contact, rejected, smelling of infection from already large patches of skin cancer on her arm and surrounding her lips. Gina was born albino, without natural skin pigmentation. A big health risk living in a subtropical climate with a strong sun, no sunscreen and very little money for proper clothing to cover her skin. All of which resulted in the present skin cancer.

The stigma and rejection she has known through her life just for being different as an albino is more than I can imagine. It took months of coming to clinic every week before she stopped pulling away every time I would greet her with a hand on the shoulder or even when I would brush her arm as I greeted her daughter, Merrieta.

Merrieta taking a break on her mom’s lap

Now that the skin cancer has grotesquely deformed her face her rejection has multiplied. (To not be too descriptive, the cancer has eaten away her lips and continues its destruction from the bottom of her nose to below her chin. It’s not nice.) But she is different. She doesn’t retract when you touch her. With her pale bronzed eyes, she looks you in the eye. She hungers for normal conversation always asking how you are and what is going on in life. We have had the privilege of being Christ’s tangible love, acceptance, physical touch in her life. One of the greatest privileges I know is to watch how the dejected, unaccepted blossoms into life as they begin to hear the words and know the hand of God’s love and value for them.

As Gina has grown weaker, being unable to care for herself and her daughter on her own, the Lord as brought us all another beautiful example of His love and kindness and her name is Berta.

Berta travels 1 ½ hours 6 days a week to Gina’s house where she cleans the house, helps with bathing, collects firewood, cooks, changes Gina’s bandages and loves on both Gina and Merrieta. Her heart is beautiful as she expresses her concerns for Gina to us. Gina does not complain. Never. In fact, we usually only hear of a new problem or increased pain through Berta. She has a heart of gold that radiates the Lord’s compassion and kindness.



Berta and Merrieta in Gina’s house


The specific prayer requests I have for this situation are: for Gina and that she would continue to have limited physical pain and that the Lord would continue to reveal Himself to her in deeper ways. Merrieta’s continued protection from malaria and other infections. Berta’s continued health and strength as she serves in a way that others are afraid to help. Wisdom for us in the clinic as how to best care for them all. And for Merrieta’s future when she is no longer able to stay with her mom. Please pray for a new family for her that will love her as their own.

 

 Just a quick shot of a new hobby I'm learning about...it's not all work here :)

Me and the bees...bzzzzz