Last time I said that it became clear pretty quickly the purpose God had for me during my time at Vida Sana. Being in an environment that was so far from my normal put me on a steep learning curve right off the bat. I generally consider myself to be a fairly capable person, but in a matter of days I felt like I had slid all the way back to square one. I needed someone to explain what water could be used for what task, how to wash my dishes, how to wash my clothes, how to take a shower...and all of this while conserving as much water as possible and while trying to understand directions with my rusty Spanish. The first couple days it felt like I was always one step behind. However, after looking back on the past several days, I can see that I've been soaking up and applying a lot of new information. And since it doesn't look like the pace will be slowing down any time soon I'd definitely say that one of my purposes here is to learn!
Here are some of the things I've learned since arriving in Guatemala:
Water is a big issue. So big, in fact, that presidential campaigns have slogans promising reliable water. It is a sought after commodity and directly affects day-to-day life here. Out of the 10 days that I've been here, we have only had running water for 2 of them. Instead, we either have to draw water from the well, which can be used for washing yourself or dishes or can be boiled and used in the kitchen. The other option is to buy filtered water. One is time consuming, and the other is expensive. It's a new experience for me to see having enough drinking water as a privilege. I've never had to think twice about exercising and knowing it will make me more thirsty and therefore cause me to use up more of the previous water supply. So if you have running water in your sink today or a full Brita pitcher, enjoy a big glass of water realizing what a gift it really is!
How to wash clothes: Because of the particularly unreliable water supply at Vida Sana, we go to a church member's house to do laundry. However, on the way there we have to pack all our clothes and soap into backpacks so they are well concealed. If other people notice that we are going to wash clothes and find out where we are going, they will cut off/redirect the water supply from the church member's house.
To wash our clothes we fill a water basin and hand wash our clothes using a cement wash board and a bar of soap. We then tote the load of wet clothes back to the mission compound to hang them out to dry and hope that it's an afternoon with more sun than rain. (We've been pretty lucky so far!)
How to wash dishes. There are a few major keys to keep in mind: 1) Keep all sponges and skin away from the bottom of any pots and pans. They directly touch the flame of the wood stove and will therefore leave you with charcoal stains that easily become Native American face paint when you forget they're there and wipe hair from your face. 2) Cutting boards and colanders should be dunked in the water bucket to be rinsed in order to conserve water as much as possible. 3) Adding water to the soap dish helps the sponge suds up better.
How to cut vegetables. SMALLER...always. And then otro poco just for good measure.
How to start a fire in the stove. The bottom 2 pieces of firewood must be pretty close and extend to the back of the stove. Put another piece perpendicularly. Light a piece of scrunched up paper and stick it in the middle, adding small pieces of kindling at the same time. This would also be a good time to add a plastic bag (I know, I'll probably get lung cancer from all the chemicals!) and possibly light other pieces of paper on fire to spread out the flame. Add a couple more pieces of medium-sized firewood in a teepee-style under the main stove hole, and you're basically finished. Blow on the flame a few times to keep the fire steady, brush the ashes and other random pieces of kindling into the holes on the stovetop, and ya está! DEFINITELY not as simple as it sounds. It took me about 15 matches and a few days of observation to refine my methods. (Please view my triumphant picture of the first fire I successfully started by myself below.)
How to give a massage. This is one of those stories that still makes me laugh. One morning, Brenda woke up saying that her shoulder were sore, so I told her I would give her a massage some time that day. The day came and went, and I had forgotten about my promise until we were getting ready for bed and Brenda reminded me. She asked if I could do it now. I assumed this would be a quick, maximum 10-minute thing, so I said yes. I thought the floor seemed kind of dirty and cold, so I told her to sit on my bed and I could just kneel to have a good angle. Next thing I know, she is lying down on my bed, massage oil in one hand, putting on relaxing instrumental music with the other, and pointing out the places on her neck, back, and shoulders that would probably need the most work. I couldn't help but stifle a giggle as she instructed me through an entire 30-minute massage routine. I got some great coaching, though, since massage therapy is one of the treatments they give here! The best part came, however, the next day when the same process was repeated. Only this time I apparently needed a little more practical instruction, so she insisted that the best way to teach me would be for her to give ME a massage. It didn't take long for me to be the one with with massage oil in one hand and relaxing music in the other!
What on earth colada is and how to make it. Colada is a cozy, hot beverage taken with breakfast and dinner. The base is soy milk (also learned how to make that from scratch using a pillowcase as a strainer), sugar, cinnamon, and some type of grain such as oats, cream of wheat, rice, etc. Other add-ins include peanut powder, vanilla, and blended plátano. My favorites have been when we added blended figs and peanut powder.
What verb to use when you want to say that you're going to place a dead bird in the bushes. Yesterday afternoon, la hermana Juanita (a sweet abuelita who is staying with us for the week) brought a baby bird into our room and told us she thought it had fallen out of a nearby tree and was going to try to revive it. She ran to the clinic to grab a syringe, and we tried to feed it some of the colada from the kitchen. Unfortunately, the milk just leaked out the side of its punctured neck, and the birdie didn't stay alive long. On our way to find a burial site for the little guy, Lesvia wondered aloud where we were planning to "tirar" the bird. A translation of that word is definitely closer to "throw" (as in a baseball or trash) than I was expecting.
Left: First fire! Middle: Film day in la panadería! Right: Back from the bottom of the well!
While there are lessons I learn about navigating the tasks of daily life here, I also have been learning spiritual lessons as well.
Ground your life in prayer and praise. Not an hour goes by here where words of prayer or notes of praise aren't heard. God's presence is invited into every aspect of life and His bountiful blessings are acknowledged frequently. There are many tangible difficulties here--a child with a brain tumor who can't afford treatment, a grandma with cataracts so bad she can barely see, abusive homes, malnourished families, water shortages, etc. However, there is also tangible faith.
This morning is a good case in point. Right now at Vida Sana we are experiencing a severe water shortage. The well behind the property has been dug down 50 meters, but the water is just about dried up. There is no more money to pay workers to dig deeper, and even if there were there is no guarantee that they would find any water source. Without water, bread does not get made/sold, dishes do not get washed, showers are not as common, etc. In short, we are in need of a miracle.
Thankfully, we have access to the King of kings who has proven Himself faithful time and again. Tapping in to this Infinite resource, all of us knelt by the well this morning to consult with our Heavenly Father. "Eternal Father, we bring to You with a petition You are already well aware of...we need water to continue with this project. However, we know that this is not our project--it's Yours....We know you have taught us that the most precious gold is refined in the fire, and so we give thanks for this time that tests our faith....You have also said that faith the size of a mustard seed can be used to move mountains. Lord, there's a chance that there is absolutely no water beneath us, but in faith we ask You to move waters. We ask for a miracle so that Your care and power can be shown. " These were just a few of the powerful words spoken.
“Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing.” ― Ellen G. White
Seek out help and community. A couple days ago, our bucket and rope to retrieve water ended up at the bottom of the well. While I was still running through a million different options of how to solve the problem, one of the students came running down the stairs carrying a rope he borrowed from a neighbor. He used it to repel down the well and retrieve the lost goods. The solution was simple, but the day's work would have been stopped in its tracks if not for a helpful neighbor.
Life isn't meant to be lived alone. And in fact, it's so much richer and more rewarding when other people enter in. A lot of times it's also more necessary than we realize, too. Shared pain = half the pain; shared joy = double the joy.
And this brings me to the second purpose I have experienced God place in my lap. There are major needs here, but also there is major faith. As someone who has been eternally blessed and graciously taught by the people at Vida Sana, it is my privilege to also share their story and their needs. Most of all, your prayers are coveted. Satan launches personal and institutional struggles here daily, so we remind ourselves that, "He who calls us is faithful." We know that the power of prayer is real, and so we want to invite as many people as possible to join us on our knees--in prayer and praise. We invite you to be part of the miracle.
Also, click here to check out the video the students just made! (It should be the most recent post with a video called Llamados a la Misión)
(I will also be working on making a list of the physical needs and resources that would be helpful for those of you that are interested in supporting Vida Sana that way.)
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