Brain

Last Thursday after homework was finished, I took the girls down the street to a small, concrete soccer area. Some neighborhood boys were already there and so we played a few matches with them. On the sidelines sat a little guy with a pathetic kitten bearing subtle Siamese markings. I would not have noticed except that it cried a lot and my younger girls were trying to take it away from the kid. I went over and asked the keeper of the cat, "Is this your kitty?" He said yes but that his mom had told him to get rid of it. "Where is it's mother?", I asked. He replied, "She died and I think it would better if you took care of it ma'am." Dogs are my animal of choice and this flea bitten creature with eyes full of mucous wasn't stirring up warm, fuzzy feelings of any variety. All eyes on me, I agreed to care for the cat and show the girls our responsibility towards God's creation.

In this way, I became the official owner of Brain. This feline bears a startling resemblance to the Pinky's counterpart, the cerebrally blessed rat who wants to take over the world every night (It's an Animaniacs cartoon for those of you who are lost). The other cats have not confused her for a rodent yet and continue to leave their left overs on the lunch room floor. The other morning I woke up to find only the whiskered nose of an ill fated rat lying on the tiled ground. I can only hope that some day, Brain will also contribute to the elimination of rats at our girls's home.

The Blog Lives!!

In all honesty, I did blog while I was home and staying at my Mom and Dad's place. It was all written and ready to be published when the dial-up internet decided to hang up and I gave up! I am astonished by the amount of people who ask me about my blog and why it has been so neglected. One gentleman even convicted me of abandoning the world of blog for the insanity of Facebook. I stand accused and guilty of that charge.

As it is, months have passed since I wrote about the land we found in August, 2007. There were a few months of doubt as the director of the NACER homes, Miguel Zuchetti, hemmed and hawed about the rightness of this particular plot of land. In all fairness, he just wanted to cover it in prayer and not jump into anything too quickly. His caution and perceived resistance proved to be a huge test for me. In my heart of hearts, I was supernaturally convinced that there was no other property worth considering. I held on to that sense of conviction but, mostly I claimed the sovreignty of God Almighty and trusted him with the outcome.

Before leaving for two months, Miguel made the decision to pursue the land I fell in love with. Others had expressed their approval and every person who has seen this hectare agrees that paradise has been found and at a decent price!

Over the past year, $25 000 has been raised through a variety of sources. However, a half a year ago an idea crept into my head that a typical Bolivian dinner would be a super way to raise awareness and funds. I recruited my family and some friends, and in less than a month, the Light in Bolivia dinner was planned and organized. Two hundred people were fed and informed. In fact, we were saying no to people in those final days. God blessed those efforts and thus far, another $25 000 has been raised towards the purchase of the land. He is a loving and provisional Father!

Many individuals have written generous cheques but the story that boasts of God's provision the most involves a man I have never met. During the dinner, friends from church beckoned me from the microphone to their table. Joining their circle, the father told me that he had been meeting with a man from Bolivia and that their last conversation turned to the topic of the homes and myself. The whole time, their son kept repeating, "Don't believe it! You're being punked!" At some point, this Bolivian businessman took out his cheque book and filled it out in the amount of $5000. Seeing that donation and realizing that it came from a stranger, I was more inclined to believe the funny-guy son at my side. Truth is, it was not a trick and God is a specialist when it comes to delightful surprises!

I am learning to be more delighted and less surprised when the Lord acts in my life and circumstances. He is the Father of lights and I praise him for every good gift!