Rain Rain Go Away

Dear Friends and Family,

Hello - I hope that you had a good week. My week has been exceptionally normal. I am realizing how I am really starting to get sick of the rain. It has been raining for this entire weekend. On friday night we all thought about going out but the fact that it was raining here made us all want to stay inside. When it rains here no one wants to go out. Part of the reason for this is that fact that most activities take place outside at least a little bit.

One exciting thing that did happen this week was we had a group of volunteers come from the States for a week. We took them out for ice cream and then later on in the week ended up going to the one bowling alley in town with them. It was a good experience. After being here for six months it was really interesting to hear the questions that they would ask and then be able to respond properly. We saw a lot of ourselves when we first came to Guyana and had much confusion and a lack of knowledge. Having them come also made us all realize how our english has become rather terrible. I have a hard time remember how to describe things without using Guyanese phrases and I confused the volunteers a couple of times... opps! :)

Anyway - I was thinking about how the volunteers were associating Guyana with Latin America when really Guyana is mostly associated with the Caribbean. Being an english speaking former British colony most of the relations are done with the Caribbean, and Guyana is considered part of the Caribbean. I've always enjoyed this upbeat energetic yet laid back part of the culture.

This week was Ash Wednesday which means it is now officially the beginning of lent. I am excited for lent as a time to reconnect my life with my faith. I went to Mass at the Cathedral on Ash Wednesday and the Bishop began his homily talking about how people are starting to predict the end of the world. He talked about how when they do this they start to think more seriously about how they want to change their lives. He then continued on to talk about how people who are near death or have a near death experience do the same things. People in these situations take time to rethink things and make changes in their lives, but why does it take an experience like this to think about these things? This Lenten season can the catalyst for us to do be the same thing. It can be a time for us to rethink the sinful nature that we have and turn our hearts to the Lord. In all generations the Lord has been there with compassion and mercy for those who turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness. Sometimes it can be so difficult to ask for forgiveness because then we have to admit to the fact that we are wrong... really, who wants to admit to the fact that we are wrong.

I'm making an extra effort this lent to try and focus more on the Lord rather than the external things in my life. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the world around me that I actually forget what my purpose is here. The thing is I need to remember that each day is a chance to start again... and this season of lent is a great time to work on that. I often think some of life's best advice can be found in the Disney movie The Lion King. Specifically when Rafiki talks about how the past is in the past and we can't change it. Rafiki hits Simba and when Simba said ouch that hurts Rafiki says "Who cares its in the past". Yes we still care about the pain but forgiving ourselves and others would be much easier if we were able to let go of the past a little bit. I know this is true for me, and it would help me on my Lenten journey. I have made many mistakes since coming to Guyana but here I am with a chance to try again.

If at first you don't succeed.... maybe sky diving isn't for you! :)

Well anyway - Wishing you all the best. Know of my prayers for you.

Love,

Ashley Ann