Big Day

I haven't spoken much of it, but the last few weeks have been Ramadan.  Tonight is the "night of power" where men go to the mosque all night to pray.  Women do the same at home.  They wait for visions and guidance, and pray to ward off evil.  They call it "big day" in this language.

We broke the fast with some friends tonight.  Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset everyday during Ramadan.  When the call to prayer goes off in the evening, they break the fast, usually by  eating a couple of dates.  The meal that breaks the fast is called Iftar.  So with our friends tonite, the food was all layed out before us and we waited about 10 minutes until we heard the call to prayer from the mosque, then we dug in.  The smokers in the crowd usually bypass the dates to quick light up as they are not to smoke during the fast either.  

We've had some good conversations about fasting this month.  Sharing notes about what it means.  I speak very simply at this point, but I am encouraged as people are interested in hearing more, and its always good to hear how people understand their own faith.

The Battle is On

The rat/mouse is back.  For over a week now we are seeing evidence of a rodent in our kitchen.  We had left a window open for a few hours one evening and it must have discovered the tasty morsels in our kitchen.  He keeps coming back.

Some pearls I have gained in this battle . . .

• You really get to know something when you are battling against it (take this to deeper places).  I am really getting to know its habits, its food preferences, maybe its weaknesses.  Its favorite munchie is rice.  So much so, that last night it was able to eat it off a mouse trap without setting it off.  BUT it also, ate rice laden with poison.  Only 3 pellets so we have to wait and see what it can handle.  As I lay in bed strategizing, I thought that if the certified rat poison doesn't work, I will head over to the pharmacy and get a cardiovascular med that could send it into a deadly heart rhythm.  (ALL meds are over the counter here).  Any blog readers who experiment with rats down in the lab have a suggestion?  
• When you really want something, there is a way.  (go deeper here too).   With the kitchen cordoned off, we soon discovered it redirected its path.  It began to gnaw through other screen windows, eat the bottom of 2 doorways (to crawl underneath), and then would enter the land of its dreams-- our kitchen.  We can't keep get ahead of it!  We now close every door, every window, pack every bit of food, AND it keeps coming back!
• Mice seem to be incontinent. (stay at the surface) It has no sense of discretion where it relieves itself.  And there are no convenient to clean piles.  I was thinking about it this morning after clean-up, it must be running along with poops just falling out the back end.

Missing Mom

2 years ago my mom passed away.  As I look at her photo, it still feels like a huge loss in my heart.  She was so precious to me.  Looking at her photo, I can still hear her voice in my head.  I hear the intonations of her voice and how she said my name.  I remember the experience of her care and love for me.  I remember her waiting at the door for me when I would arrive home after a 10 hour drive from Minneapolis.  And I remember that last hour of the drive, being so excited to see her everytime.

Along with all this God has brought me much comfort and care.  To His Glory, I can say that HE is GOOD.

This is a photo of my mom holding my twin and I.  My brother Dave is on the left.

Visit to the hospital

Today Joe and I were asked to visit a friend's neighbor in the hospital.  2 weeks ago he was caught in some crossfire between gangs and was shot in the back.  He now has a spinal cord injury and some other complications.   I think I have written on this before, but they often like us to go to the hospital to check in on people and make sure all that should be happening is happening.  The beauty of it is that medical charts are kept at the bedside.  No HIPPA forms involved,  I walk to the bedside and read through the whole medical chart and see what is going on. Sometimes it is a matter of explaining to the family the medical care.  Or sometimes suggesting something that seems to need to happen. In this guy's case, good care was being given.  The family called the MD in anyway, and I was able to hear the prognosis which he readily admitted he wasn't telling the family.  His injury is at T10 which means that he probably won't walk again.  This is very sad to think about considering where he lives.  Life as a paraplegic in an area of unpaved roads with wild traffic means you are quite restricted to your community mobility.  The family is extremely poor which is another reason they asked us to come by.   We were able to help with the bills and pray with the family that God would intervene.   

New photo album from medical clinics

look at my photo album to the right