Hello Everyone,
Have you ever felt like you had one of those weeks that just went by in a flash? Yeah, that was this week for me. I can't believe that is already saturday evening!
Last Sunday Audrey Sarah and I decided to go and hang out on the sea wall. The three of us hadn't been out together in a while. It was one of those epic nights where you spend the entire time laughing and talking about stupid or funny things that you've done. It really reminded me that in life it's really important to laugh. Laughter really is the best medicine.
It was one of my friends birthday's this week so I ended up baking a cake on monday night. I find that every time one of my friends ends up having a birthday I end up making cake. I guess that at least I am working on my cake baking skills. :)
Tuesday at school I had a very laid back day because thursday this week was going to be a holiday. I don't like to get one set of students to far ahead of the others so I try to do something that is educational but still fun. I asked the students if there were things they wanted to learn about the internet and we ended up having a really good discussion/demonstration hour. It's really important to keep professional distance from your students but I reminded myself that it's just as important to show my students how I really do care for them. People are more willing to learn from you if they know you actually have interest in them. I think this is why some missionaries completely fail. If you are just trying to convert or persuade someone about a religious belief because you think it is right you are not doing it right. When you are trying to really convince someone of something they need to know that you are doing this because you believe it is best for them. If someone doesn't understand that you really care for them then you'll never get anywhere past the surface. I mean that's why you blow off people in the street who are trying to tell you about Jesus... would you blow off some guy who was pushing you out of the way of a car about to hit you? No - because that would save your life. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone else - but it is my food for thought.
This Thursday was Masharmani which is the celebration of Republic day here in Guyana (42nd). I was very excited to have the day off and enjoy some time in the sun. I went out to see the parade around 12:30 with Audrey and Meg and we walked around on the road until about 5 pm when we walked back home. Least to say it was a good break from the week. It's kind of like the fourth of july parade plus a huge tailgating party all around it. Still doesn't fit - but it's pretty fun. One of our friends has a website where he puts up pictures he has taken during different events - here is the link to the page which has the mashramani pictures. Mash Pictures If you click on the second page you can see Audrey Meg and I. I am warning you now that some of the costumes are a little Mardi Gras ish so don't be shocked by any pictures! If only you could actually see all the crazy dancing that goes on! :)
Other than just partying this week ;) we also began Lent. On Wednesday we once again began our annual journey of fasting, praying and alms giving into lent. To be perfectly honest I sometimes don't like lent. I guess the reason for that is because I always begin lent with good intentions and always feel like at the end of lent I've succeeded but don't feel any different. I feel fulfilled when I spend the extra time in prayer and giving alms but still don't understand the fasting. Then on Ash Wednesday I heard a homily that changed my perspective about lent. He talked about how when we are physically hungry from fasting we can associate that with the hunger that our soul has for God. I had never thought about it that way and it really hit me deep. My soul yearns for God and sometimes I just don't understand that. Having a physical yearning for something can help me to remember that I yearn for God if I turn my fasting into a prayer.
Lent isn't just for Catholics and we can all take this time to really try and focus ourselves on the Lord before he comes at Easter. I got this in an e-mail about living your best lent ever so I thought I would repost it all for you.
Remember even if you just find one small thing to focus on this lent that brings you closer to God you are still one step closer. Every marathon begins with a single step and we can't forget that. Be faithful and take things one day at a time. And as my grandma reminded me in her e-mail to me this week we are never alone - Keep close to those who love you because they will encourage you in doubt.
Love always,
Ashley Ann
REPOSTING: YOUR BEST LENT EVER
Our only purpose today is to help you begin your Lent well, so you can have Your Best Lent Ever. We saved a really, really, really good insight for last.
1. NOW FOR THE...CONCEIT
Let us begin with...a conceit. Huh? A what? What is a "conceit"? As some of us may recall from English class in the olden days, a conceit, according the fourth definition of the third meaning of the noun in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, is (drumroll):
"an organizing principle"
A Lent well-lived needs an organizing principle. May we suggest that your conceit for Lent this year--your organizing principle--be to:
Go. For. It.
GOING FOR IT
Go For It! We only have so many years on this earth, and to waste a Lent is just plain subpar for a believing Catholic. Challenge yourself this Lent. Choose extra-difficult mortifications. Give up your very favorite things. Fast more often than ever before in your life. Commit to prayer or Mass or Good Friday devotions like never before in your life. Do not fall for the sadly common temptation to slide into this worldwide season of extraordinary grace like a wet towel into a hamper. By the way, you know the pope is going to kick petard this Lent. This is the only time of year when it is, in fact, a good idea to be more Catholic than the pope. Pope Benedict XVI practically invented the Conceit. He was going for it over eighty years ago.
So plan today, right now, to look back on Easter Sunday with the wonderful sensation of knowing that you did your very, very best to grow closer to Jesus.
CRACKERJACK, SURPRISE-INSIDE SUGGESTIONS
Some of you are psyched. Some of you are groaning. Others are nodding (hopefully in agreement, not off into sleep). Many stopped reading after the word "conceit." Now, for some suggestions. Please forgive us for listing some of the "usual suspect" suggestions. Our goal below is to make you tremble in fear: "Oh no, not that! I can't give up that!"
Yeah, we (and you) are looking for the Perfect Oh No Not That to give up because this year, our conceit is Go For It. And remember, there is no prohibition from doubling up, or choosing three, five, or seven things this Lent (Your Best Lent Ever!). We know that many of you have been intending to get off your duffs and do several of the following for years (and even decades--you know who you are).
We can only offer this bold encouragement because we are weak, slothful, wimpy, selfish, lazy, prideful, ashamed, and cowardly, like everybody else. Here are some suggestions to get into the spirit of Go For It:
1. Pray the Rosary every day.
2. Receive Communion at Mass every day.
3. Go to Confession every Friday.
4. Pray the Family Rosary every day or once a week.
5. Pray in silence 20 minutes a day.
6. Make a Eucharistic visit every day.
7. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (at 3:00 PM) every day.
8. Fast on bread and water one to three times per week.
9. Read a spiritual book.
10. Give a painfully large donation to charity.
11. Give a donation to charity instead of buying something for you.
12. Pray "Jesus, I love you!" in the first waking seconds of the day.
13. Listen to Catholic CDs.
14. Do something major to improve your marriage.
15. Volunteer anywhere: at your kid's school, homeless shelter
16. Visit a home for the elderly
16. Give up something you absolutely love, crave, or spend time on, or that annoys the people you love, including:
-television or your favorite television show
-television before a certain hour
-television after a certain hour
-coffee
-diet soda
-donuts
-hamburgers
-chocolate, and anything with chocolate flavor
-all snacks or desserts
-movies, Netflix, movie rentals
-the Internet
-texting
-Facebook
-following your favorite sports team
-video games
-celebrity magazines
-golf (an objectively grave moral evil) (only kidding)
-booze
-watching golf on TV
-a destructive, irresistable "friendship"
-foul language
-picking your nose
-sports radio
-satellite radio
-music radio
-talk radio
-restaurants
-driving when you could walk
-sleeping in late on the weekends
-sleeping an "extra" ten minutes in the morning
-fast food drivethroughs
-not cooking breakfast for your kids
-shopping for clothes or food
-text messaging
-not stopping by your neighbors to say hello for weeks
-failing to visit or call your "not close by" relatives
-soap operas
-the beach (for those of you lucky enough to have one nearby)
-fishing, hunting, four-wheeling, skateboarding
-some of your "alone" time doing any hobby
-your absolute favorite, passionate hobby (aha, you just fainted!)
-nagging your husband (you know who you are)
-nagging your wife (she knows who you are)
-interrupting others
-not smiling when you arrive at the office
-knitting, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku
-knitting? (you addicts understand)
-cigarettes, cigars, gum, and phony "candy" breathmints
-cellphone calls in your car on the drive home
-bluetooth headset (harder than you think)
-fantasy football, basketball, or baseball
-eat your vegetables (even you adults)
-betting on March Madness
-gossiping at work--say something nice instead
-stealing "little stuff" from your employer, including time online
-relations with your spouse (on certain days or weeks)
-thinking about yourself when you wake up or go to sleep (pray instead)
-thinking about yourself when you drive (pray instead)
-buying anything you don't need
Whatsoever you do to the least of My people, that you do unto Me.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Attitude towards life
Attitude can really make or break a person. If someone is always walking around constantly complaining and fretting they are going to be less likely to be happy. I really believe that sometimes people can take life way to seriously and it can make them old fast. This past week I have seen this lesson over and over again in all areas of my life. It doesn't matter where you are in the world, who you are, or how much money you have bad and good things are going to happen to you. At the end of the day it's how you respond to your world that decides how your life is going to play out. Don't let stress get the best of you - life is too short for that.
I realize that this is probably the first time I have actually wrote this on my blog but for the past month for the first time I have actually become home sick. It's kind of weird that after 18 months for the first time I have really desired to be home. It's not that I don't still love Guyana, I do, it's just that I miss my family. I've realized that it's not because i'm really upset in life that I become homesick but rather because i'm really happy. I've learned I would rather share all my joys with those I love than my sorrows. I think this realization really helped me in life. Am I always trying to share the good or am I trying to share the bad? Don't get me wrong we all need times in which we need people to support us and lift us up - but are we always leaning on other people or are we giving and taking. Do we share our joy just as easily as we share our sorrows.
This week at school the students I teach continued to work on an assignment so I didn't have to do as much teaching but more one on one interaction. I realized that I am not called to teach a classroom but I am definitely called to work with individuals one on one. One of my students came up to my desk to work on my computer with me because he was having a really hard time. When it was time for the students to have free time he continued to work. I asked him if he wanted to stop and he told me no miss, I don't want free time. This boy week after week continues to bring joy to my heart because he really wants to learn. He is very slow and had a terrible time reading but desires to do better. I definitely need to learn from him because there are times in which I need to be like him and put in extra work but I instead take the easy road out and do as little work as I can to get the job done.
I lead a presentation this week for non adherent patients (patients not taking their medicine or patients who have fallen away from the program). I would have to say that this is one of my favorite things to do. We don't hold these session because we want to punish the patients but because we really want them to understand what they need to do to help their health. It's always such a big sigh of relief when we get to have a lively discussion after the presentation because I feel like i've actually taught something. Seeing people come together and talk about their common problems often helps others to see that they are not alone and gives them extra energy to keep trying.
I also worked one on one with a patient helping them to understand how to fill her pill box. It's something I think is so easy and simple to understand and I assume that individuals know how to do it. When we were practicing it dawned on me that she really was frustrated so I reaffirmed her and reminder her that she could do it. We practiced and practiced and at the end of the session she really had joy on her face because she understood. How many times when we are fluent at something do we dismiss others who just don't understand. Knowledge is a gift that is to be shared - but when we become prideful we can really hurt others who don't share the same knowledge as us. It's like if you had a 50 loaves of bread and saw a hungry man you would share the bread with him... but with knowledge sometimes we just get quickly frustrated and aren't willing to share. Patience is a virtue for a reason and that was definitely my lesson this week.
Looking forward to this week as we have another public holiday coming up!!
Remember the small things in life can make a big difference. Stop stressing over the little things because it's going to make you older faster and as my grandma zup would always say "one day at a time".
Love always,
Ashley Ann
I realize that this is probably the first time I have actually wrote this on my blog but for the past month for the first time I have actually become home sick. It's kind of weird that after 18 months for the first time I have really desired to be home. It's not that I don't still love Guyana, I do, it's just that I miss my family. I've realized that it's not because i'm really upset in life that I become homesick but rather because i'm really happy. I've learned I would rather share all my joys with those I love than my sorrows. I think this realization really helped me in life. Am I always trying to share the good or am I trying to share the bad? Don't get me wrong we all need times in which we need people to support us and lift us up - but are we always leaning on other people or are we giving and taking. Do we share our joy just as easily as we share our sorrows.
This week at school the students I teach continued to work on an assignment so I didn't have to do as much teaching but more one on one interaction. I realized that I am not called to teach a classroom but I am definitely called to work with individuals one on one. One of my students came up to my desk to work on my computer with me because he was having a really hard time. When it was time for the students to have free time he continued to work. I asked him if he wanted to stop and he told me no miss, I don't want free time. This boy week after week continues to bring joy to my heart because he really wants to learn. He is very slow and had a terrible time reading but desires to do better. I definitely need to learn from him because there are times in which I need to be like him and put in extra work but I instead take the easy road out and do as little work as I can to get the job done.
I lead a presentation this week for non adherent patients (patients not taking their medicine or patients who have fallen away from the program). I would have to say that this is one of my favorite things to do. We don't hold these session because we want to punish the patients but because we really want them to understand what they need to do to help their health. It's always such a big sigh of relief when we get to have a lively discussion after the presentation because I feel like i've actually taught something. Seeing people come together and talk about their common problems often helps others to see that they are not alone and gives them extra energy to keep trying.
I also worked one on one with a patient helping them to understand how to fill her pill box. It's something I think is so easy and simple to understand and I assume that individuals know how to do it. When we were practicing it dawned on me that she really was frustrated so I reaffirmed her and reminder her that she could do it. We practiced and practiced and at the end of the session she really had joy on her face because she understood. How many times when we are fluent at something do we dismiss others who just don't understand. Knowledge is a gift that is to be shared - but when we become prideful we can really hurt others who don't share the same knowledge as us. It's like if you had a 50 loaves of bread and saw a hungry man you would share the bread with him... but with knowledge sometimes we just get quickly frustrated and aren't willing to share. Patience is a virtue for a reason and that was definitely my lesson this week.
Looking forward to this week as we have another public holiday coming up!!
Remember the small things in life can make a big difference. Stop stressing over the little things because it's going to make you older faster and as my grandma zup would always say "one day at a time".
Love always,
Ashley Ann
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Baby Shower!!
Hey Everyone,
Another week has come by quickly and it brings me closer and closer to 18 full months in Guyana. I can't believe how quickly time is going by.
As you all know last week Sunday was Superbowl Sunday! Yay Giants! I went over to my co-worker Niall's house. He and his wife, Shereyln, were very great hosts to watch the game with! We ate hot dogs, chips and had beer to drink! :) What a perfect combination for the super bowl! We all realized just how much we all missed watching American Football! It was great to see some commercials from back home but unfortunately most of the commercials were not the original ones which was sad.
Monday was a holiday which was fun. One of my friends came over which was nice we just sat and talked and listened to music. After that it was a pretty rainy day so I decided to go over and hang out with my friend Andrew. We watched a movie called Real Steel which was AMAZING. I thought it was such a cute movie and I really recommend it.
It was so hard to go back to school after having a long weekend but it was worth it. I've really gotten into the hang of teaching and it isn't as stressful as it was before. I find it much more natural than before. This week we spent time going over different websites and pointing out how to find out if it is a credible site or not. Not all of the boys showed up so I ended up having a free period. Tuesday also happened to be African American AIDS awareness day. I talked about it with my class and they thought that it was unfair they had a full day for "black people" and AIDS because they said what makes us any different. I thought it was interesting that it was their first reaction. We talked about it some more and I think by the end the understood that it wasn't meant to be in a racist way. Those boys really make me smile with some of the questions they throw at me. If you ever want to have to think through something just bring it up to a bunch of teenagers and they will make you really explain it well.
Wednesday one of my co-workers and good friends from the hospital brought in lunch because it was her birthday. I think it's really cool that on people's birthday here in Guyana they often give away more than they expect. They are celebrating their life with you. It's a great thing to be more focused on giving rather than receiving.
On Wednesday I had a group of young adults come in to get free tests. They really make me laugh because their questions and concerns are so raw and uncensored. I really realize how genuine young people can be and I appreciate the joy it brings me. They admit their mistakes quickly and are able to laugh at them. I hope to always be able to laugh at myself. One young man told me how he believed the greatest problem in Guyana is that people are uneducated about HIV. I wanted to hug him and say thank you, someone else agrees!!!
Thursday is always one of my favorite days at school because I have a class that just loves to crack jokes and make me laugh. I always try and keep them on topic but somehow they end up asking me a question and distracting me to a topic that is COMPLETELY unrelated. This week in class they ended up getting me to talk about President Obama. I don't even know how we got there. They constantly make me laugh and I really look forward to teaching them. Afterwards some of the girls came up and helped me really do a deep cleaning of my room. I enjoy having the girls in small numbers because it's easier to talk with them. They ended up sitting there and playing with my hair because they all say I have "dolly hair". I don't mind!
Friday like always is chaos at the hospital and nothing was new with that. At one point in the day I had to take lunch so I escaped to another part of the hospital to eat quick or I knew it was never going to happen. It was one of the first days I really got to talk with my supervisor about everything that happened while she was gone. I am really glad to have her back because she is such a great mentor to me. On Friday someone came in and was talking to me about when I leave to go back to the states and as I was talking to them my boss said: "She's not going back to the states, I told them to not let her out of the country." Ahh I feel loved.
Today I came to Berbeice because one of my good friends sister is having a baby shower and she invited me. I ended up making the cupcakes for the shower from scratch!! I have kind of become a famous baker here for cakes, cupcakes and bread. I don't really know how this happened but I guess i'm glad for the fame. I took a break to quick come and write this blog because I wanted to post it before Sunday.
The one thought I have in my mind all week has come from this whole Catholic contraception dialogue. Now I'm not going to share my opinion but it has made me think. People were talking about how 98% of Catholic women use contraception. I said to myself okay fine, but that doesn't change what the church teaches. If all of a sudden all Hindu's started to eat beef - that wouldn't make it right - it just means they weren't following their faith. We all have free will, and so if someone doesn't want to follow the religion they proclaim that doesn't change the religion just the person. I think sometimes we are spoiled because we are used to democracy. Most religions aren't democracies because they based on the fact that their is some sort of absolute truth. I much more appreciate someone who finds out why a religion teaches something, understands why, and then chooses to disagree then someone who blindly disagrees because it isn't convenient for them. Many atheists who have done their research make fools of religious people who pick and choose what they like but have no reason for anything.
Life is too short to agree blindly and lack passion.
Love Always,
Ashley Ann
Another week has come by quickly and it brings me closer and closer to 18 full months in Guyana. I can't believe how quickly time is going by.
As you all know last week Sunday was Superbowl Sunday! Yay Giants! I went over to my co-worker Niall's house. He and his wife, Shereyln, were very great hosts to watch the game with! We ate hot dogs, chips and had beer to drink! :) What a perfect combination for the super bowl! We all realized just how much we all missed watching American Football! It was great to see some commercials from back home but unfortunately most of the commercials were not the original ones which was sad.
Monday was a holiday which was fun. One of my friends came over which was nice we just sat and talked and listened to music. After that it was a pretty rainy day so I decided to go over and hang out with my friend Andrew. We watched a movie called Real Steel which was AMAZING. I thought it was such a cute movie and I really recommend it.
It was so hard to go back to school after having a long weekend but it was worth it. I've really gotten into the hang of teaching and it isn't as stressful as it was before. I find it much more natural than before. This week we spent time going over different websites and pointing out how to find out if it is a credible site or not. Not all of the boys showed up so I ended up having a free period. Tuesday also happened to be African American AIDS awareness day. I talked about it with my class and they thought that it was unfair they had a full day for "black people" and AIDS because they said what makes us any different. I thought it was interesting that it was their first reaction. We talked about it some more and I think by the end the understood that it wasn't meant to be in a racist way. Those boys really make me smile with some of the questions they throw at me. If you ever want to have to think through something just bring it up to a bunch of teenagers and they will make you really explain it well.
Wednesday one of my co-workers and good friends from the hospital brought in lunch because it was her birthday. I think it's really cool that on people's birthday here in Guyana they often give away more than they expect. They are celebrating their life with you. It's a great thing to be more focused on giving rather than receiving.
On Wednesday I had a group of young adults come in to get free tests. They really make me laugh because their questions and concerns are so raw and uncensored. I really realize how genuine young people can be and I appreciate the joy it brings me. They admit their mistakes quickly and are able to laugh at them. I hope to always be able to laugh at myself. One young man told me how he believed the greatest problem in Guyana is that people are uneducated about HIV. I wanted to hug him and say thank you, someone else agrees!!!
Thursday is always one of my favorite days at school because I have a class that just loves to crack jokes and make me laugh. I always try and keep them on topic but somehow they end up asking me a question and distracting me to a topic that is COMPLETELY unrelated. This week in class they ended up getting me to talk about President Obama. I don't even know how we got there. They constantly make me laugh and I really look forward to teaching them. Afterwards some of the girls came up and helped me really do a deep cleaning of my room. I enjoy having the girls in small numbers because it's easier to talk with them. They ended up sitting there and playing with my hair because they all say I have "dolly hair". I don't mind!
Friday like always is chaos at the hospital and nothing was new with that. At one point in the day I had to take lunch so I escaped to another part of the hospital to eat quick or I knew it was never going to happen. It was one of the first days I really got to talk with my supervisor about everything that happened while she was gone. I am really glad to have her back because she is such a great mentor to me. On Friday someone came in and was talking to me about when I leave to go back to the states and as I was talking to them my boss said: "She's not going back to the states, I told them to not let her out of the country." Ahh I feel loved.
Today I came to Berbeice because one of my good friends sister is having a baby shower and she invited me. I ended up making the cupcakes for the shower from scratch!! I have kind of become a famous baker here for cakes, cupcakes and bread. I don't really know how this happened but I guess i'm glad for the fame. I took a break to quick come and write this blog because I wanted to post it before Sunday.
The one thought I have in my mind all week has come from this whole Catholic contraception dialogue. Now I'm not going to share my opinion but it has made me think. People were talking about how 98% of Catholic women use contraception. I said to myself okay fine, but that doesn't change what the church teaches. If all of a sudden all Hindu's started to eat beef - that wouldn't make it right - it just means they weren't following their faith. We all have free will, and so if someone doesn't want to follow the religion they proclaim that doesn't change the religion just the person. I think sometimes we are spoiled because we are used to democracy. Most religions aren't democracies because they based on the fact that their is some sort of absolute truth. I much more appreciate someone who finds out why a religion teaches something, understands why, and then chooses to disagree then someone who blindly disagrees because it isn't convenient for them. Many atheists who have done their research make fools of religious people who pick and choose what they like but have no reason for anything.
Life is too short to agree blindly and lack passion.
Love Always,
Ashley Ann
Sunday, February 5, 2012
The Bishop and Juice Boxes!
Dear Friends and Family,
For all of those who think that I get to skip out on winter here should know that it's felt like winter all week because of the rain. Last week Sunday it had been raining so hard all day that Audrey and I felt frozen around nine pm. We sat out on our veranda underneath a blanket and cuddled!! Yes, yes it was cold. There is something about torrential downpour all day that makes the whole place damp and chilled. The rain never seemed to quit all week. On Tuesday on my way to work I wore a rain jacket and long boots. Everyone else made fun of me later in the afternoon but I wasn't about to spend the whole day soaking wet because of my treck to work. I did have to walk through some water so I was happy about my decision.
This week at work I was reminded of the frailty of life. I feel like more and more often we have people coming into us to be tested for HIV after they have already been sick for a very long time. At the point when they come in soooo sick there is only so much we can do. It's like waiting until your cancer is at stage four or five before you go in for a screening - there is a little bit of hope - but you really should have been tested sooner. Other than that I found myself working with multiple people who tested years ago but left the program because they thought they would be healthy on their own drinking herbal remedies. In life you're going to have victories and you're going to have people who slip away and I learn how true that is each day. I have people come in just throwing their life away and admitting to it and a few minutes later a fighting mother bursting into tears because all she wants to do is live a long and healthy life with her children.
Last night we had Mass at the orphanage because the feast of St. John Bosco had been earlier this week. The Bishop came out to celebrate Mass for us. As Audrey and I were standing out on the side of the road waiting to catch a bus to go out to Mass it started raining and we were getting all wet when all of a sudden a car pulled over and it was the Bishop! We were pretty excited that we were saved from the rain by the Bishop.
Mass was nice because it was all the sisters and individuals who work for the orphanage. The boys played the steal pan drums to begin Mass and we sang along with them. After Mass we had a dinner with the boys. While I sitting and eating dinner I looked over and noticed that the Bishop was sitting with the small boys. At the same time one of the Matrons had begun to pass out juice boxes to all the boys. I saw the boys begin to hand their juice boxes one at a time to Bishop so he could help them open them. It really hit me at how beautiful of a moment that was. No matter how important someone is children don't know that and they don't really seem to care. One of the boys told the Bishop his belly was big and he needed to eat less and the Bishop brought that up in his homily. He talked about the honesty of small children and the beauty of it.
Tomorrow is a national holiday again and I am pretty excited to have an extra day to sleep. I am in need of some time to finish some projects I've had sitting around for a while. Always so many things to do but just not enough time.
Yesterday one of my old students came by me an we made chicken and macaroni because it's her birthday today. This student is the one who invited me to her house for her sisters Hindu wedding. I was really blessed to be able to catch up with her. At one point we were talking about relationships and she was telling me how she doesn't understand how so many women just throw themselves at men. This is something we try and cover in our Adolesence Develeopment Program and I thought to myself: "At least we got through to one girl". She continued to tell me how she's learned to respect herself and stand up for what she wants. I feel really blessed to know her.
She also was telling me a cute story about how one time she was baptized in a river. She said how this pastor took her and her family out the the river and dunked them. She said how she didn't know what was going on but that she became a Christian. I asked her which faith she liked better her Hindu faith or her Christian faith. She told me how she saw beauty in both of them but that she like Christianity because it was much simpler. I smiled and laughed. I didn't try and sway her decisions or what she was talking about but it was just beautiful to hear her different thoughts on life as she grows up and starts to seriously become interested in what she believes. In the end she had a really great desire for Truth and I know God will show himself to her.
Thought for the week:
"It is easy to love those who live far away, it's not always easy to love those who live right next to us. It is easier to offer a dish of rice to meet the hunger of a needy person then to comfort the loneliness and the anguish of someone in our own home who does not feel loved" - Mother Teresa
Love and prayers,
Ashley Ann
For all of those who think that I get to skip out on winter here should know that it's felt like winter all week because of the rain. Last week Sunday it had been raining so hard all day that Audrey and I felt frozen around nine pm. We sat out on our veranda underneath a blanket and cuddled!! Yes, yes it was cold. There is something about torrential downpour all day that makes the whole place damp and chilled. The rain never seemed to quit all week. On Tuesday on my way to work I wore a rain jacket and long boots. Everyone else made fun of me later in the afternoon but I wasn't about to spend the whole day soaking wet because of my treck to work. I did have to walk through some water so I was happy about my decision.
This week at work I was reminded of the frailty of life. I feel like more and more often we have people coming into us to be tested for HIV after they have already been sick for a very long time. At the point when they come in soooo sick there is only so much we can do. It's like waiting until your cancer is at stage four or five before you go in for a screening - there is a little bit of hope - but you really should have been tested sooner. Other than that I found myself working with multiple people who tested years ago but left the program because they thought they would be healthy on their own drinking herbal remedies. In life you're going to have victories and you're going to have people who slip away and I learn how true that is each day. I have people come in just throwing their life away and admitting to it and a few minutes later a fighting mother bursting into tears because all she wants to do is live a long and healthy life with her children.
Last night we had Mass at the orphanage because the feast of St. John Bosco had been earlier this week. The Bishop came out to celebrate Mass for us. As Audrey and I were standing out on the side of the road waiting to catch a bus to go out to Mass it started raining and we were getting all wet when all of a sudden a car pulled over and it was the Bishop! We were pretty excited that we were saved from the rain by the Bishop.
Mass was nice because it was all the sisters and individuals who work for the orphanage. The boys played the steal pan drums to begin Mass and we sang along with them. After Mass we had a dinner with the boys. While I sitting and eating dinner I looked over and noticed that the Bishop was sitting with the small boys. At the same time one of the Matrons had begun to pass out juice boxes to all the boys. I saw the boys begin to hand their juice boxes one at a time to Bishop so he could help them open them. It really hit me at how beautiful of a moment that was. No matter how important someone is children don't know that and they don't really seem to care. One of the boys told the Bishop his belly was big and he needed to eat less and the Bishop brought that up in his homily. He talked about the honesty of small children and the beauty of it.
Tomorrow is a national holiday again and I am pretty excited to have an extra day to sleep. I am in need of some time to finish some projects I've had sitting around for a while. Always so many things to do but just not enough time.
Yesterday one of my old students came by me an we made chicken and macaroni because it's her birthday today. This student is the one who invited me to her house for her sisters Hindu wedding. I was really blessed to be able to catch up with her. At one point we were talking about relationships and she was telling me how she doesn't understand how so many women just throw themselves at men. This is something we try and cover in our Adolesence Develeopment Program and I thought to myself: "At least we got through to one girl". She continued to tell me how she's learned to respect herself and stand up for what she wants. I feel really blessed to know her.
She also was telling me a cute story about how one time she was baptized in a river. She said how this pastor took her and her family out the the river and dunked them. She said how she didn't know what was going on but that she became a Christian. I asked her which faith she liked better her Hindu faith or her Christian faith. She told me how she saw beauty in both of them but that she like Christianity because it was much simpler. I smiled and laughed. I didn't try and sway her decisions or what she was talking about but it was just beautiful to hear her different thoughts on life as she grows up and starts to seriously become interested in what she believes. In the end she had a really great desire for Truth and I know God will show himself to her.
Thought for the week:
"It is easy to love those who live far away, it's not always easy to love those who live right next to us. It is easier to offer a dish of rice to meet the hunger of a needy person then to comfort the loneliness and the anguish of someone in our own home who does not feel loved" - Mother Teresa
Love and prayers,
Ashley Ann
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)