Since I last wrote, a lot has happened, yet hardly much has happened. I'm coming up on it being 2 weeks for me in Trinidad. THAT is hard to believe, but I have to be honest and say that I am still anxious for home as much as I may love what I'm learning here. I think that I am discovering that I am just a homebody or maybe it is that I just relish in the comfort of the States. Probably both are true.
Well, in this last week, we had Father's Day (I guess I never realized it was a international holiday until now) and Labor Day (Monday the 20th was Trinidad and Tobago's national Labor Day). So it made for an eventful weekend and the length of it provided us with extra background music due to the fact that there is a bar about a block away from the house and Trini's love to party!
For Father's Day, the church service was devoted to fathers and men in the church. I had a good talk with Mitch about men and how we, the church, are almost assisting in societies encouragement for men to step aside from their God-given authority and leadership. It's really a problem. A quick thought for you: think of all the problems we face in society today. Now, to fix them, we NEED to fix the church! But to fix the church, we need to fix the families inside, and to fix the families we MUST fix the marriages! And in order to fix the marriages, we need to fix the men and restore godly leadership.
I really think this is quite true -- not that women are perfect. We most definitely have things to work on too. But I do think there is a movement in society against the men....and I think it is of the Enemy. He loves to do that kind of thing...inconspicuous destruction.
On to Monday. The kids got school off and I think we were planning to go to the beach (!), but the weather wasn't so permitting. It was a rather rainy day. So instead, we made a trip to Calcutta and visited some family friends. It was a very fun day! I got my toenails painted and I got to make 4 new pairs of earrings -- there were a couple of ladies really into that stuff. We also played Scrabble and other games! Before we left, I got to try an Indian pancake...made from rice and stuff. What a joy to get to spend time with such warm people! They were also World Team missionaries. The couple moved here from India almost 20 years ago (I think).
But before the weekend came the week. It was rather uneventful and I think I can even use the word dull. After our 7-hour traffic jam on Tuesday, the days of Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat were filled with lots of reading, TV-watching, cooking, eating, playing with the kids, and drinking tea. I was, to tell you the truth, almost feeling imprisoned in the house because I was unable to leave alone (for safety) and I'm unable to drive, and I haven't met anyone willing to be a chauffeur. I made it through though and actually it has given me great time for myself. I truly enjoy getting to read books for pleasure at my own pace so that has been wonderful! Just the latter part, about me having no chauffeur, is sad because it means that I haven't yet found friends here.
It has been very interesting to find that there really aren't any people in the church in the age group of 18-25 (any who are single at least). And because I have only been to church and to elderly people's houses to bring them encouragement, I haven't had many chances to interact with people my own age. This could be something that God has up His sleeve though. I know that the reasons for this is probably great in His plan for me being here....so I'm not too worried.
Right now, I'm just trying to focus on the things I see that He has set before me -- the woman/ girls he has assigned to me. I met with Trisha today! It went so well...again! God is so good. Today we started our little Bible study. I'm just hoping to introduce her to an effective way of not just reading, but studying the Bible...in groups. It's really neat to see her enthusiasm for the Word and her new outlook on faith. She completely understands that our Christian lifestyle is really all centered around faith....faith in Jesus! It was she who brought that subject up tonight! She really helps simplify Christianity and the Gospel for me. Sometimes, I think that we who have grown up with the Truth, often overlook the simple wonder of it all.
So my goal for us is to go through the book of James at a slow pace so we can really delve for all that the Word can tell us. Today we spent an hour and a half in James 1:1-18...only half the first chapter. Seeing that James has 5 chapters, and if we go at the same pace, I'm hoping we can get 10 sessions out of my stay here. That would mean we need to meet twice a week. I am up to it, but it's on her because she does have a job and a husband and is involved in other things too. However, even if we don't get to finish James, I hope to just teach her one method of study so she can continue and hopefully introduce it to other of her believer friends and they can grow in their walks together! That's the ultimate goal -- developing disciples who can go forth and make more disciples.
I'm sure I could write more, but I have an early day tomorrow! We leave at 6 AM for FamJam, a church-organized day of fun and fellowship for families from churches all over Trinidad.
Love from Valencia!
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