Stories Told and Untold

An old peanut butter jar full of tape worms. Congratulations Dave V, you're good, but Jer you knew where they came from. I promised to post the accompanying story but as my brother Derek forewarned, I fear I may lose some readers. Perhaps I'll spare you the details and those of you who crave strange and unusual stories, feel free to make a request in the comment section.

I will say that this shot was taken at a home for the developmentally and physically challenged that I recently visited with our girls. The home is called Eben-Ezer and little did I know that it is under Nacer ministries as well. It was a memorable day. My girls were especially amused when one of the boys took a shining to me. His affections were humourous and a little frightening at times. The majority of the girls rose to the task by embracing and accepting the boys. A few were uneasy and nervous but, I had some serious pride for my chicas. By the end of the day, I wasn't the only girl who had a guy with a crush on me.

Our task consisted in cleaning, cooking, and chatting with the guys. In Canada, where there are high standards for hygiene and basic by-laws regarding building structure and integrity, it is still a challenging experience to work in these environments...challenging in a sensory kind of way. As in your sense of smell is assualted and your sense of sight sees images that you wish you hadn't seen. In Bolivia, where standards are different and by-laws may exist in an unenforced kind of way, the sensory challenge is a billion times more intense. Still, the girls cleaned every nook and cranny from the bedroom to the bathroom, and even washed some pretty ripe, reeking clothes. They even withstood the discovery of the tiny, gecko carcasses.

One of the reasons why my affection for the girls swelled in me this day was because I was witnessing the desired end result of discipleship. It doesn't do to walk people through to an understanding of Jesus unless they grasp the concept of service. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. Inactive faith can not save you. You MUST be serving in some shape or form. Yet, let's not deceive ourselves either, the work by itself is meaningless too. If I give all I possess to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. It's a package deal here folks: faith, deeds, and love, take them all or throw in the towel.

Our kids, my girls, have received a lot...from others and from various countries. They have been served much by dedicated folk and people who really 'get' Jesus. Granted, they've been dished out a lot of brutality too, but it's all for nought if they don't arrive at a place where they can be a blessing in as much as they've been blessed. That dear readers, is part of my mission for the time that I am here.

My other mission is to determine whether or not my own intestines are residence to a tapeworm or two, but that is another story best left untold.