Begin forwarded message:
From: Jane boyce <janeboyce@live.com>
Date: February 3, 2018 at 8:33:30 AM AST
To: Jane boyce <janeboyce@live.com>
Subject: Update 10
Wow times flies when you are busy hopping from one project to the next! Johanna, the pastor we are staying with, has been getting calls asking if they can get added to the list of places we will come to help. No shortage of needs here.
We spent two days at Marielly's. It is only right that she finally was at the other end of the stick as she as been helping us at other sites since we got here! Maria had stripped paint off her house so we help her repaint it. She was so pleased. Then Rog got the chainsaw going and we cleaned up fallen trees and overgrown bushes. Picked up trash the had been sprewed about filling about 10 bulging garbage bags. She said she'd been so depressed and though she'd cleared away a lot, she'd been overwhelmed. She'd pick up a broken piece and say, "This was my porch chair...etc. etc...etc..". As Rog cut up a tree, she tell me that tree had the sweetest fruit. Her shaded home was now in full sun. She said many people had committed suicide. She got her strength from God and had the church as a refuge. I was drenched in sweat and thankful we were there.
Another day was spent at Claudia's. She had a gorgeous home high in the mountain. Very artsy. She'd had been married less than a year when Maria tore off much of the roof and ruined most everything inside...all the wood doors, staircase, furniture, clothes and so many of her wedding presents. But what hurt the most...were the books. Her husband is a principal and she's studying to be a pastor. You can see the pain in her eyes as we bagged up the book and added them to the heaping pile of junk. She and her husband had not been able to do much cleaning as they were waiting for the insurance adjuster while living with her Mom over an hour away. They just found out how much they'd get...$9000. Hardly enough to cover the cost of the materials to fix the roof.
We got home in time for me to bake a cake...something Naomi & Alice asked for when I told them I would make a treat for them. I couldn't believe how excited they were. Took pictures of it, called friends to come over for a piece and passed some out after church. Simple joys.
Somehow it was Friday night...and we suggested going out for pizza. Didn't take much encouragement. The girls had a birthday party (about 1 away) so we rode along and walked the town plaza, listened to a live band & ate ice cream while we waited for the girls. Johanna's English is improving daily so we enjoyed hearing her tell us about how there is a dress code and even hair code for female pastors. She has curly hair and has been given a hair dryer by an elder in her church so she can straighten hair...she & her girls have resisted the trend and proudly wear their curly hair. She tells a story with such vigor, passion and expression...both her voice and hands! We hit the jackpot finding her!!
