After living in Angola for 6 months life has finally settled in and I can say that the "honeymoon" stage on being a missionary is wearing off. Not that I don't love being here, but now I don't love all the sacrifices. Like when I got here, after every meal I would hand wash every dish and think how easy it was, and that I don't know why I ever thought I needed a washing machine. (I know our Boston friends can relate here) Then I'd go clean a used cloth diaper, and fill up our water filter. And every time I swept the mound of dust that comes in the house, I would just smile and think how satifying it was to sweep a lot of things out of the door. Ha, you know how it was when you first got married, and you thought you loved the quarky things about your spouse that turned out to be the things you despised after a few years. That kind of thing, I even thought I loved studying a new language at the begining. But now, after six months and I still get whole sentences in conversations that I totally don't understand, I'm getting fed up with it. This must be why my relationship with God is deepening, because I really need to rely on Him right now in these frustrating times. I just want to have a couple over for dinner and sit back and laugh about life. But I'm too focused on understanding every word that even when it's funny, I don't have the energy to laugh.
The kids on the other hand are really getting comfortable. They have a few friends on the street, and they love to play together. Oliver and Zeke are attending a daily tennis class taught by our neighbor. And Oliver is actully liking school a little bit. We are very happy about this. He goes to a Portuguese speaking school in the morning and I teach him and Zeke together in English in the afternoons.
Roman is very comfortable with people and I'm sure he will be communicating in both languages here someday.
John is starting to feel the weight on his sholders as being one of a very few eye surgeons in the country. People are always traveling hours to be seen at the Boa Vista eye clinic and the types of complicted eye problems are numerous. It's a releif to know that God wants to carry this burdon for John, and John knows that God is pleased when he is giving his best, but at the same time it is overwhelming.
Yesterday, I was at the blind association and even though I tell them all the time that I'm not a doctor they continue to call me Dr. Lori, so this poor woman brought her three year old son, that is clearly mentally handicapped, to me to see what I can do to help him get better. And of course in my limited knowlede of medicine I don't think anything can be done,, so I told her what I know, then refered her to the general hospital. Unfortunately, they will not have good news for her. So this was my glimpse into John's day to day life. Everyday, he sees blind people that the Lord allows him to bring sight, but at the same time he has to tell many others that their particular problem cannot be fixed; and send them back on their 2 day journey home. Since the Lord cares more about our love for him than the things of the world, we can rest asurred that people who come to Boa Vista and don't get the result that they want, they at least heard the Gospel and know that the love of Jesus even reaches them.
It is a tremendous honor to be somewhere where we are so needed and appreciated. So please pray with us that we always remember that. We really miss everybody and are so thankful for this ability to stay in touch. Thanks again for reading.
From Angola with Love,
Lori