Hello Fascination

*ORIGINALLY POSTED AUGUST 12TH 2010*


I'm writing this during a storm, and I'll say that i love having a porch in these situations.

The storm reminded me of the monsoons in Iquitos. The drops were large and heavy, and they came and went so fast. I also recalled when Mary slipped and fell in one of the rivers that the houses of Belen are on. They were on a small motoro boat and needed to take refuge from one of the monsoons and in the process of gettin from boat to floating house she slipped and fell waist high in the river. Heh, that was a rather interesting story to hear.

But even when it was raining there was this epic game of futbol going on. It was all muddy and they dudes were just out there kicking some serious face. And the contrast between Rauls front porch and my front porch is what really struck me...mine is a relatively well groomed yard with trees all around and gardens and what not, and theirs was literally sitting on top of a cesspool of mud, feces, trash and worms. There was hardly any grass and the grass that was there was either taller than me or so short it looked like bristles.

I also remember showing some of the children my niece and nephew, and at first they thought they were my children! But i quickly corrected them and said "hermanos niños, hermanos ninas" and they all looked so excited to see the pictures. I showed them pictures of my pool and my house...But a moment that I don't think i'll ever forget is on the first full day I was in Belen, which was Monday, I was wearing my green bra and black tank top, and by now the straps of my bra had gotten really dirty, and they were just coated wih sweat and dirt, and I remember one of the girls my age telling me she thought it was "Bonita" and I dunno why...but it just struck me that even though my garment was mucked up and dirty she still desired it. It was like she knew the potential the bra could have in beauty (work with me here) and she was willing to look past the dirt and grime.And isn't thT basically what we as Christians are supposed to do? To look past peoples flaws and shortcomings but still say "You are bonita. You are beautiful" and not care.

Sometimes I feel that even the youngest child down there was wiser than I.