Costumes ...anyone?

I finally (after 3 trips to the costume shops) remembered to bring my camera to share with you the "experience" of the costume shop scene.

To go to the costume shop one must first organize transportation. (As we are deeply ensconced into our second year here dependent only on public transportation, first one considers the bus lines and the three different exchanges one must make to get to the part of town desired.) Next, after considering that significant time would be required to simply travel there and then the complexities of negotiating for costumes would be required...a wiser approach is clearly to ask the awesome moms at our school to drive and translate.

I have mentioned in blogs past about the fact that Here, in sharp contrast to There, when one needs to buy anything you travel to the "XYZ Market area"....in this area shops peddling the exact same wares line the street of a particular area. (Whereas There...a proprietor of a shop looks to find a "niche" area where no other store offering the same wares is located.) Below is snapshot of the "Costume Rental market"...

Perhaps you can imagine why it is a good idea to go with a local...a foreigner like myself my ride down this very street and have no idea the dozens of stores right here offering costumes. On every trip I've been pressed by dozens of people trying to select their perfect frock. Big galas are the norm Here...pageantry like nothing I've ever seen before (keep in mind that 1/2 of my parents were professional opera singers in There)...this is the land of massive productions...super competition...and gowns made by the thousands!

Below, a few shots of this "inside" of the costume shops:

At long last this Thursday we traveled back to pick up the 20 sequined dressed for the girls in the elementary school, the 30 sequined dresses for the Kindergarten's performance, the 20 sequined dresses for teachers who would be dancing/singing, etc, and ONE MASSIVE gown for moi...the soloist of the night.

At times like these when we're deeply involved in these matters that seem, well, silly, in the scheme of eternity...I often have to pause and listen the HS more closely about WHY we're here, WHY we're doing these things. As we are receiving glances of opportunities to do work beyond the school, we're often up late at night asking...what is the purpose of this? Our whole team, in fact, has discussed this at our weekly meeting.

This week I received a powerful reminder through a message given some time ago by a guy who leads a large fellowship in the Dallas area. He was powerfully reminding us that we must run with perseverance the race marked out for US. That, according to the text from which he was teaching, for some we will shut the mouths of lions in the race He's called us to...and for others...we will suffer much for the good news. I thought about it and neither situation describes the race we've been called to here...so what gives?

We came Here to be obedient...to love and to share with anyone He leads into our path the hope of our lives. So many are watching up close and personally in our community and now more newspaper articles and magazine spreads have been done on our large brood and the "why Here" question always comes to the fore.

The aria I sang on Friday night was "I love "This Country"." And as I prepared for months for it I was constantly tangled and frustrated by the language...exasperated that I could not learn it. But finally on Friday morning, a breakthrough, as I started my day with prayer my focus narrowed. The performance would be a by product of the hours of rehearsals with the 8 teachers who danced behind me...the students who we live with and teach everyday who would be watching....and the 1000+ people who would hear me sing the song are those who watch our family and how we "do life" everyday here in our community. Did our lives reflect that we truly "love" this country?

We do love this country...we love her people...not because life is easy or comfortable, but because He placed a deep love for this place in our hearts.

In all we do Here (EVEN in the seemingly silly), for as long as He has us here...may our lives be fountains of the love that only He can give...remembering that He longs for them to know how much HE loves this country...we are to be the "grace-filled, gift-givers" of that profound love, while here in this time. Pray for us...that we will not allow the discomfort, discouragements and our own numerous failings of our flesh block the flow of this vital work...for it is by His grace and for His renown, alone.