Watch the Walk

The other night I went to a friend's daughter's birthday party. Now, I've been to a lot of parties, but all of them in my own town. This one was in another town (which in a place like this makes a difference). So I got ready at home, caught a taxi, and met a teammate at her house to walk to the event with her neighbors. But as soon as I arrived at the teammate's house I realized a problem: I was dressed differently from them. See, in my town most parties require a certain dress protocol. The other dress protocol is reserved for extremely important events. I figured that a 6 year old's birthday wasn't quite as big a deal. Me in the normal party attire (with a good friend) And I was wrong. My teammate's neighbors greeted me with, "why didn't you wear a (special matching shirt)?" "I didn't know I should wear one," I replied. "Ah. Well, I have one. Should I give it to you?" "Is it better for me to wear one?" "...

Sometimes I'm tired. I'm tired of going out and greeting 50 people just to leave my neighborhood. I'm tired of cooking everything from scratch. I'm tired of the heat. I'm tired of the heat rash. I'm tired of juggling all the different relationships I'm developing. I'm tired of being under constant scrutiny and explaining my everyday actions multiple times a day in a language I only met 6.5 months ago. But I know Someone who's never tired. In fact, Isaiah said that He neither faints nor grows weary. His understanding is unsearchable. Even young people faint and grow weary. They fall exhausted. But those who wait on this One will gain renewed strength. They'll soar like eagles. They'll run and not get weary, walk and not faint. I want that. Because on days like today it's stinking hot. My attitude needs an adjustment so my light can shine bright. 'Cause it's hard for the lantern to shine bright when its chimney is clouded. And this ...

I couldn't tell you how many times I've told my mom, "Google is your friend." Well, Google is my friend too, and a very convenient one at that. Post-technology fast, I often turn to Google when trying to figure something out here. Some things even Google can't help with... but it's amazing what you can find with a little searching. So for your entertainment here are some things I've Googled: - "how to get rid of mold on concrete" - "how to roast coffee beans" - "get rid of ants" - "earthqua kes on islands" - "average temperature in (location)" - "help me identify my tropical fish" - "cure for heat rash" - "de-worming kittens no vet" - "dengue fever" - "homemade enchilada sauce" - "is my vpn wor king? - " some letters on my keyboard don't wor k " - "my cat is psychotic" - "meals with cabbage and carrots" - "places ...

I remember when I moved into my island home. It's in the middle of the town with houses almost touching each other, and one of my first thoughts was, "There are a lot of kids here." During the first few weeks I realized a little of what that meant: They're noisy. They're obnoxious. They don't understand boundaries. And within the first few weeks of moving in I was getting really annoyed with them. Every time I left home or returned home I would have a crowd of children following me, chanting my name. Or worse, chanting, "White person! White person!" in the local language. Yes, I'm well aware of my white skin. They even chanted my housemate's name. Seriously, she's brunette and I'm blonde... how can they not tell us apart? But J'sus rebuked his disciples when they tried to push children away. And I want to share the love of J'sus with them. So what do I do? I prayed about it a lot, trying to think of how to love on the annoying...