Dear family and friends
This is going to have to be brief, because I've spent most of my internet time reading ike updates. Thank you for the personal notes, especially from those of you who are also experiencing limited internet connections. I wish I could have been in Houston this week to help out with Ike recovery, and just to be with you all in these experiences. But it some ways, we have shared some experiences - all of us have been learning about living simply and how to trust God in unknown situations. But I hope you have not encountered any rats! Actually, I am getting used to the rats. Now I just wake up and clap my hands and sing a little if I hear them in the night. Somewhat annoying to my roommate, however! One suggestion I have for dealing with un-AC is baby powder. You can even buy baby-powder with special cooling ingredients.
Things have been going well here both in terms of team-bonding and community outreach. We had a rough day last Tuesday, with heat and emotionally intense experiences and general exhaustion, but we seem to be on a positive note as we move into our last few days. I've been thinking a lot about what working/living in a place like this for the long-run would look like. One conclusion I have come to is that a husband would be really nice! But that aside, I have a lot of new thoughts of what I need to pursue professionally and spiritually to be prepared for long-term in a poor urban community. I've been keeping a list of people I've seen in our community with overt physical disabilities or limitations, and it is getting long: untreated cleft palates, a child with a congenital lack of nose and eye anomolies, an amputee, a girl with severe scholiosis, a child with a significant burn from the cook-stove, a little boy with CP, and innumerable skin lesions and diseases. It makes me want to bring a team with some surgeons. One little thing you can pray for me is to have wisdom in is treating a nasty infected cut on one of the kids fingers. I have been trying various ointments and bandages on it for about a week now, and it is finally starting to look healthier, but much slower that I would have liked. Pray for me to know wether to keep messing with it or to leave it alone at this point.
Please also pray for peace in my heart as we prepare to go home. I think it would be easier if I was really going home, but LA is more of another mission field, in some ways harder than this one. And I would rather stay here. I just keep reminding myself that I have kids waiting for me. But it will be hard to leave the kids waiting for me on the street every morning and night. I wish I could send you all big hugs and a few kisses too. ...
I will be flying out Thurs at 8 this time, and getting around Thurs PM in california (many hours later) Still no internet at home, however, so I will send out a new update sometime on the weekend or Monday when I am a work. It is pouring rain outside and I've got like a mile to walk to get back home in Botacan. Fun.
Love and hugs Bethany Joy
Pictures: Top - my roommate (in the Philippines) and housemate (in LA) Edith and I on our roof
Bottom: Some of the street kids, including Jobar, who has a congenital nasal abnormality.
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