This week seems like it has gone by in the blink of an eye. Last weekend I ended up going out with Sarah and Audrey on friday night and sleeping on saturday! It was a fun weekend that was really laid back and relaxed. On Sunday I took a day trip to a town called Parika with Ms. Marietta a mercy associate who lives with the Sisters. She wanted to show me a couple things in the area. The bus ride there was nice - I miss driving sometimes. Parika has a large boat harbor because it is on the Essiquibo river. This is one of the two major rivers in Guyana and is one of the larger rivers of South America. We saw the boats and she showed me the different places where I could get on the boats to go to different areas of the country.
When I got back to Georgetown I ended up going and visiting a few friends. My friend who has been in the bus accident last week passed by my house to visit with me. Seeing them was a really huge blessing. Although I had known that they were alright, I had heard their voice - I still didn't have the closure of actually seeing them alive and well.
Audrey and I have begun teaching a summer computer class together in Sophia at Mercy Wings. We are teaching with another man from the UK - his name is Ryan. It has been a good adventure so far. There are about 13 students in our first class and 7 in our second. We have all been taking turns teaching which makes things a lot easier than being responsible for teaching every lesson. I do like teaching but I feel like I am in need of a break! :) Ryan is new here so his energy is helping push forward the class at a good pace.
Working at the hospital this week was really slow and really crazy. It seemed like the saying when it rains it pours was very true this week. On tuesday when I was at the hospital we had VERY FEW patients and I ended up going home a little bit early because there was nothing for us to do. Friday I ended up going in during the afternoon to help out because things were going to be CRAZY, and they were. I just laughed to myself at the end of the exhausting day on friday. Sometimes that's just how life goes right.
We had one of our friends over for dinner this week, pizza and beer! When he came over and we were about to eat he was waiting for us to serve up the pizza. At that point we realized how there are still some small cultural differences that we forget about. Back home you would almost always know to help yourself and especially after being told, where as here people almost always serve you when you are eating at their house. mmmm just writing this blog makes me crave pizza again! Such a treat!
I know that I have posted this poem on my blog again - but it really has helped me this week:
Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
This week I had a long mental debate whether or not to give someone the benefit of the doubt. With all of my being I wanted to be mad and angry at the person who had wronged me, but I just didn't have it within myself. I don't know what it is but I sometimes have a really hard time holding a grudge. (sometimes) Then I reminded myself that - they said sorry - so I should forgive them. God doesn't think about forgiving me when I say sorry, he forgives me. Why do I need to think that I am more important than God to continue to hold a grudge?! I kept re-reading this poem this week to remind myself that at the end of the day it is between me and God. Life here can be tough, people can wrong you and hurt you even when you have given them your best. When this happens all I want to do is to get vexed and yell back - not call them - and push them out of my life. However, Mother Teresa reminds me that is not what Christ would do. Life is too short to stay mad. Life is too short to be bitter. Yes I have many lessons to still learn about this and people in my life who I still need to forgive, but I do feel like life here is teaching me a lesson in this. Always repeating to myself: "One day at a time".
I hope you all have a good week :)
Ashley Ann
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