This is just a quick note to let you know what’s been going on lately. We’re still experiencing huge fuel shortages. Line ups of trucks and busses are everywhere as soon as a little diesel appears. They tell us this should be over (or at least better) by next week…but we’re all just waiting and seeing. I thought I had a good source of diesel last week, but it’s been hard to get a hold of the girl who was helping me…so…who knows. I made it home on a wing and a prayer last night.

I was sick last week too. Some kind of bacterial thing that caused sores all over the inside of my mouth and on my hands. Yea…it was as pleasant as it sounds. But it’s a lot better today. I couldn’t really talk or eat much all last week. I’m on the mend though.

I had an interesting experience last week though. One of the little guys from our second home was graduating from kindergarten (a big deal here) and we wanted to let his family know. I ended up driving our two social workers and this little guy and his two older brothers out to visit their family.

They lived an hour and a half off the main road back into the hills. After bumping and banging along, the oldest boy finally told us to stop in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. We all piled out and started walking down this little sandy trail through the brush. Then the boy stopped and warned us that his grandparents had “very bad dogs” that we needed to be careful of. The social worker handed him a stick and told him to go deal with the dogs since they didn’t know us. As our reluctant protector walked away I could hear him muttering, “I don’t live here…they don’t know me either!” But after listening to some serious barking and growling and picking up sticks of our own, we heard him call and everything was fine.

These grandparents were two of the sweetest, oldest and shortest people I’ve ever met. Grandma only came up to the top of my stomach probably. They were also likely the poorest people I’ve met since coming here. Their house was just a clapboard building with big gaps between the boards. When I was sitting outside, I could look into it and out the other side through the holes in the walls. It looked like what we would consider a cow barn in Canada. As soon as we arrived they put out chairs for us and served us some….thing to drink. I’m not sure exactly what it was. I wanted to be polite, but I’ve just gotten over a parasite and I wasn’t eager for another little buddy to take up residence. So I did the “pretend you’re drinking but don’t open your mouth” thing. Then later I did a little “tour” of the place…walking around, looking at the view and such…and when no one was looking I tossed the contents into the bush. Not classy but it got the job done and no one got their feelings hurt.

Right away Grandma went scurrying around gathering up eggs from her chickens to have something to serve us. That’s a huge thing here. So after awhile we were invited into the house for a bowl of corn kernels and a couple of little hard boiled eggs. The corn kernels are big (more like field corn) and you just take a handful and munch on them like you would finger food. My only challenge was that the floor of the house was dirt and the back two legs of my chair kept sinking in and nearly flipping me over backwards. I finally balanced on my chair, wedged it against a little table and didn’t lean back. Again…not classy but it got the job done.

It was a very fun experience. The kids were so happy to see their grandparents. Their mom had died of cancer three years ago, and then their dad took off. Grandpa and Grandma just couldn’t afford to raise them, so they ended up in care with us. It didn’t matter that the walls had big holes or that the floor was dirt…they all gathered on the big bed (the only real furniture in the house) and had a great visit with their grandparents. We stayed a couple of hours and then it was time for the trip home.

Grandma walked back out to the truck with us and as we packed up to leave, two local ladies walked by with a load of vegetables and fruit from their fields. You could see the pride on Grandma’s face as she told them that these were her grandsons. Obviously the ladies remembered the boys and there were lots of “Look how big they are!” and “So handsome!” for the guys (which they all enjoyed). Then we were all given a watermelon and we were on our way.

A couple of things stood out in my mind as we drove home. First…they had nothing and yet they were so generous with us. The ladies we met on the road as well. So happy to be able to share with us. And secondly…they were so happy and content. I can’t even imagine what this family has been through and what it takes just to survive from day to day. And yet they are satisfied with their lives. Genada (our social worker) commented on it a couple of times. Just how content and joyful they all were as they sat and visited. It was sobering and challenging for me to see that.

I just finished reading a good book, “Under the Overpass”. I highly recommend it. It’s about two guys who choose to live as street people for five months and their experiences and observations. There are different thoughts and themes throughout the book, but one idea that resurfaces is being content no matter what our circumstances (Phil. 4:11-12). The guy ends his book by writing this: “I dare you to ask yourself a reality-rattling question: What would I do during my day or in my life for God if I wasn’t concerned with what I wear, what I eat, where I sleep, what I own, what people think about me, or what discomforts I face?” The guy gets to ask the question when you realize what he put himself through and what he experienced. It was a good question for me to ask myself too. I get too caught up in worrying about the future and all that. To be content and aware of the here and now and what God desires for me in this moment…that should be the focus of my heart.

Anyhow…enough preaching. But it was a good experience. Some other day I’ll write a bit more about some of the other things God laid out for me through that book and what I see day to day here.

A couple of notes. I’m sending out a video e-mail today as well. Thanks to a couple of friends of mine, I’ve been given the opportunity to send out video clips. You can click on the link and watch a little video of my life here. I hope to send out other videos as the days go by…interviews with some of the guys…funny things that happen. Just to warn you, once you go to the site, it does take a few moments for the video to buffer even with high speed. But hopefully this will work well and give you a glimpse of life here. This first video some of you will have already seen though. It’s the one I showed when I was home this summer. But watch it anyhow! =)

As well, my letter about the new project I’ve working on, will go out this week. I know I said that last week….but now I’m saying for sure this week. =) If you know me at all you’ve got to be smiling right now…

Thanks for praying everyone. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

Luego!

Ken