Kindness and Outrage

I want to preface this post with the disclaimer that we are blssd beyond measure.

We cannot believe the joy we have living day by day way outside of normal. We are thankful, deeply moved, by the love and support shown to us by the dear people with whom we live. Everyday we go to school, we spend time learning a new language, we learn about a new culture and we love the ones in front of us.

Our hearts ache for those we love back home, especially our eldest, his lovely wife (The Rockstar & Princess) and our precious daughter (Butterfly.) Even still, we see this opportunity as the greatest adventure of faith in our lives and we pray that it is a suitable offering. It is here, each day, that we are reminded to "Taste and see that the Lrd is good."

Each day is difficult. Often life here is uncomfortable, not physically, although the weather can be brutal...but the greatest struggle we face is with our identities. At the Old Place we were relatively capable, able to successfully manage our lives within the bounds of acceptable and everywhere we went we could negotiate our own way.

The culture of these beautiful people at The New Place is steeped in responsibility. When you are a foreigner here, everyone with whom you are in relationship takes personal responsibility to care for you and specifically to give you advice.

We know to expect this and always try to receive it in the love and honor with which the message is intended.

However, the message intended, the message sent and the message received are not always the same message. This is true when both parties communicating speak the same language. This is quadruply true when both parties are relying on limited phrases or an generally exhausted interpreter to always be the "middle man" in the flow of communication.

Magpie is on the mend. Today she returned to school and felt better after day 2 of her anti-biotic. We're thrilled to have "run into" a family who has lived here with their 4 children for the past 8 years. The mother of the brood is a family practice doc. They live about 15 minutes from us! After consulting with her the verdict is, walking pneumonia. We are so thankful for antibiotics.

The illnesses in the family have created a firestorm of compassion on the parts of our friends and colleagues here. Just yesterday when I returned to the school to teach my English class for 3rd period, two of my colleagues raced over to the Living Quarters to visit Magpie. Along the way they evidently stopped for 3 huge bags of fruit. Fresh apples and bananas spilling out of their bags adorned my coffee table when I returned just one hour later. Since this is the 3rd such "fruit gift" that we've received in the past 3 days Magpie noted: "Wow, the longer I'm sick, the more fresh fruit for the family!"

While at my home they tidied up the living room. (Oh the horrors!)

They straitened up the shoe area. (With loud exclamations in awe of the number of shoes in our home!)

In 30 minutes they made quite a dent.

Sadly I was unable to alert Magpie to the coming "Hurricane of Compassion." This meant she was ill prepared to receive them. Specifically, she was not wearing socks and she was in her nightgown instead of thermal underwear.

They were horrified to find her in such a state and admonished her to immediately get on socks, slippers and more clothes and to GET TO BED! They advised her to drink warm coke with ginger, to wrap herself in a few comforters and to sweat out the sickness.

Magpie, ever amiable, immediately went to bed, thankful that they were not able to stay and enforce the prescribed perspiration remedy.

It took several minutes when I arrived one hour later to get her to open the door. She feared their return and stayed in her bed to assure that they were gone! :)

As now I can see my mother's satisfied appearance reading this blog saying "How many times have I told you to keep socks on those children?"...I must add another fact to the story...

It was 82 degrees yesterday.

Today I was subjected to outrage.

I went to the school, it was rainy, but it was quite warm...surely upper sixties. Back at The Old Place, that's a regular heat wave!

I wore sandals to school. I believe that feet should be free to the very last moment they possibly can be...that they need air and sandals should be worn on every conceivable opportunity.

My co-workers do not share this opinion.

Seeing my bare feet wearing only sandal leather strapped over them sent them into an absolute tizzy.

"I'm afraid we must tell you that you will be sick here if you do not wear socks and shoes. It is dangerous as you will catch a cold because of your cold feet."

"This is probably why Magpie is so ill, she wore no socks with her shoes last week." (It was in the low 80's on the occasion referenced.)

I tried to explain that where we have lived for the past 12 years, today was very comfortable and that I was not cold in any way, especially not my feet. And that prior to my getting sick last week, I had worn shoes and socks for the 10 days prior...

...my explanation was not adequate...

...frowns with heads wagging in disapproval of my personal and parenting policies made me feel so foolish...

I wanted to say..."Hey, I've been a mom for quite awhile! None of my children have suffered ill health because of bad practices on my part! Back at The Old Place, no one would agree with the bare feet superstition just because it's "autumn," disregarding the warm temperature! I'm okay! Just because I can't negotiate my way out of any problem and most of the time I have no idea what is going on around me and just because I fell in a hole last week because I wasn't watching for an open manhole in the middle of the pedestrian walkway...I'm capable...I'm reasonably smart...and back home I'm considered a good communicator..."

Ah...culture stress...read about it...heard about it...was trained to have techniques to handle it...still getting the best of me...

Got to remember who I really am...

I'm His.

So whether or not I'm ever seen as a capable person or a good mother or possessing any wisdom whatsoever...He chose to place me here...and as I've been bought with a price...I'm here. He thinks I'm valuable, He calls me His own...

Oh that I might decrease and that He might increase...