I know that I have been sorely negligent in my commitment to posting about my missionary work. I apologize for the interruption. It is true that I am quite busy here and that at the end of the day I seem to fall into bed with a loud sigh and drift right into sleep. But I do miss writing, I miss the connection I have had with those of you who have been faithful readers. I will do my best to begin again. I had some technical issues...the computer I was using crashed, and I lost many of my pictures and posts I was writing. So...here we go...beginning once again...I hope and pray that the fervor in which I desire to write is enough to keep my eyes open at night!!
So this is my fourth trip here to the Poor Household of God mission in the Philippines with the Oikos Sisters. I sort of was surprised at the feeling of coming home that I experienced upon my arrival here. But truly, it felt so natural and right. It was a great feeling to experience!! I have made a commitment to the Oikos Mission, this past January I renewed my status as a co-worker of the Oikos Sisters. It is a one-year commitment, my second year as a co-worker. I have also made a personal commitment to remain here in this mission, to look no further to where God wants me to be. I believe He wants me here...and I am happy to be here!
I am continuing to work with the Baking Mamas. There are now 4 mothers working, baking each day. We have a daily order of snacks each morning delivered by 9:30 in the morning. The mothers make pizza, empanadas, toron (bananas wrapped in a thin shell and fried), banana Q (bananas cooked with brown sugar until caramelized and put on a stick), and cassava cake (a local delicacy made from a root crop called cassava, sugar and milk). This summer we will hopefully get a stand near the beach and sell our products each day as well. We've also tried baking baked pretzels...quite a marvelous new treat for them!! So much fun!! I'll also be teaching them some new treats to make. The mothers get paid an hourly wage along with a meal while working. we hope this can become a livelihood program we can begin again and again with poor mothers. Please pray for us!! There's more information about the Baking Mamas on our website, http://www.PoorHouseholdofGod.org. Feel free to check it out!!
People continue to come to our door for help. Whether looking for medicine, rice or money for their needs, we see everyone who comes and try to help as best as we can. The other day, a man came to our door with his auntie. His name was Arnell and he was 37 years old. His mother left the family when he was just a baby and his sister, who up until a few weeks ago had been providing for him, has now left him to work in a bigger city. So now he really needs help, and this is why:
Arnell was born with a skin disease. It looks like he has sustained 3rd degree burns all over his body. Every inch of his skin looks like it has been severely burned. He has rounded feet, so he cannot wear shoes of any kind and walks around barefoot everywhere he goes, he has no eyelids, so he cannot ever rest his eyes...they are always open and he has no protection for them. Arnell is always hot and thirsty, probably severely dehydrated, and the heat he feels is constant, he says he never feels cool. All of this he told us upon our asking about him and his life. He was not complaining, about anything!! He came because with his sister deserting the family, he and his auntie have no one to provide for their food, so they were asking for rice.
I looked at this man, who has no way to rest his eyes, who cannot wear shoes of any kind to protect his feet, whose skin looks extremely painful and is painfully dry, who cannot find any relief from the constant overwhelming heat he feels and who was in no way complaining about any of this, and I thought to myself... I have no reason to complain about ANYTHING EVER AGAIN!!! Oh my goodness!! Since meeting Arnell, I have been searching on the internet ways we can help him, and I have been in contact with a dermatologist who came on the last medical mission that we had here last month to see what disease he could possibly have and if there is any help for him. And even though the days have gone by and many other people have come to Oikos for help, still I cannot get Arnell out of my mind. We asked his auntie to be the one to come to Oikos when they need help so Arnell wont hurt his feet anymore, and she has returned for food. We have also promised to visit their home as well, which we will soon do. But how humbling was this experience??? I have come here to help people and continuously find myself being the one who has been helped/changed for the better. Please keep Arnell and his auntie in your prayers...and us too as we search for ways to help him. Thank You!! xxoo
