in-convenience stores.

If there’s one thing that we have been learning throughout the past 3 months here in this country, it’s to have patience and be flexible. Yesterday was a learning day. This blog post is not meant to be taken as complaining, I just want to give everyone some insight into the rhythm of life on the mission field.

SO. A couple of days ago Evan starts developing impatigo on his face (Apparently it’s the same thing as strep throat, it just happens on your skin…Those of us who didn’t go to nursing school would have no business knowing that.). We wake up yesterday morning and it’s in full effect on his face, spreading down his neck, and he feels awful (It’s really not as gross as it sounds… just red and splotchy). That was tip #1 that we should have stayed in bed. Then, I walk out of the house and kill a baby tarantula walking on our porch (tip #2). We had a lot of stuff to get done, though, so we had to press on. Our car battery’s dead. And the car’s parked in an anthill. Evan takes the battery out of the car, steadily being attacked by the ants crawling up his legs, and we get in Norm’s car to go get a new battery. We drive to RSJ; the car parts place is closed. The other thing on our list for the day is buying paint to repaint the outreach center. We go to the hardware store; they are out of the colors we want (I didn’t even know that happens here… I thought they would mix it like in the states….).

Our next option is to drive to Gaspar Hernandez (about 20 minutes from RSJ), and try to knock out both things on our list. We get there, we buy a new car battery, no problems. Needing more cash, I go to an ATM, I put in my card, put in my pin, put in the amount, said “yes” I want a receipt, and then…. nothing. No money. No receipt. Nothing. This is an ATM on the street, not by a bank (lesson learned), so there’s no one to ask about it (The jury’s still out on whether someone stole our $300 or not). I try to another ATM (outside a bank), actually get money this time, and we go to the hardware store. The only paint color they have is white. So we go to another, and they show us all the colors and assure us that they have them all. So I tell them what I want, the guy leaves, comes back and tells me they are out of the color I want (surprise). I picked out another color, they got the paint, and I get ready to pay. It’s more than I thought it would be, so I don’t have enough cash (they don’t take a card… seriously, how do they LIVE like this? 🙂 ), and we have to go BACK to the ATM. At this point we are seriously missing the convenience of the US of A (I would have killed for a McDonald’s). Anyway, we finally got the paint, the battery, and went back to Bobita…. Only to find out (after Evan gets re-attacked by the ants, who are still furious we parked in their hill) that the car still won’t start.

Evan and I honestly really love being here, and I love seeing the ways that God is changing us and using us and helping us to grow. But we sometimes just wish there were an easier way to learn patience….