I’m on a beach, the sun is hot, and the sand is warm…I can hear the sound of the ocean waves crashing” … I shook myself back to reality. No, I wasn’t on a hot beach, I was standing in a tiny room made of sticks and mud, my body shivering from the extreme cold. It was one of the coldest days of the year, I had on every warm piece of clothing I brought with me - leggings, jeans, long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, sweater, coat, 2 pairs of socks, boots – yet I could not get warm. I looked around the room and stared at the women in skirts, bare legs, no socks, flats covered in cold wet mud. Shawls instead of coats. A child was bundled up in blankets, yet I noticed her bare feet were sticking out. Suddenly I didn’t feel too cold. We were all gathered together to remember a baby that died the year before. The doctor spoke some encouraging words to the family, reminding them that even though the situation was sad, we can rejoice knowing the baby is in a better place. After the message and some hymns, we consumed hot coffee and tamales. I have never been so happy in my life to have hot coffee and tamales. I greedily ate the food and let it warm my insides. After our meal, we headed outside into the bleak, misty weather. We piled into the bed of the truck and braced the wind as we drove to the cemetery. I gripped the side of the truck with frozen hands, stared at the feet of the other women, and was once again thankful that I had put on 2 pairs of socks. Once we arrived at the cemetery, we sang some more hymns and laid a cross at the place where the baby was buried a year ago. The event was supposed to be a time to celebrate and remember the life of the baby, but the air was heavy, and my heart went out to the mother. Nothing was comfortable about the event, in fact I was pretty miserable… but I fought hard to suppress my feelings, knowing the mother and family felt much worse than I did. I wanted to escape it all and go into my thoughts, into my happy place. But I knew I needed to be present in the moment, take it all in, and feel the pain of those around me. Life is full of joyful moments and difficult moments, but no matter what happens we can look to God. He is our only hope. I know the mother was sad, remembering her lost child, but I am thankful that she has God and can look to Him for comfort. This trip has been full of ups and downs. Through it all I continue to trust God. I am thankful for my time here and for my experiences. Every day I learn more about myself, the goodness of God, and what the life of a missionary really looks like. Updates:
- Clinic: The clinic has been pretty busy. Lots of children with diarrhea. It’s been very interesting to learn how to differentiate between the many causes of diarrhea…is it viral, bacterial, or a parasite? After seeing a few patients with the doctor, I was able to see a child all by myself. I examined him, decided the most likely cause of his diarrhea was a parasite, and provided him with medication! That was a very exciting moment for me. There have also been a lot of patients with colds recently, which always confuses me because it is usually warm and sunny here! I guess the one week of freezing cold got everyone sniffling and coughing for weeks. - English Classes: Classes are going well! I still really enjoy teaching the students! Last week we taught them how to say “I am cold” which was very appropriate for that day. This week, the doctor was busy, so I taught the class ALONE! I was so afraid but also excited. I decided to talk about Thanksgiving since it was on Thursday. I asked the class if they knew what Thanksgiving was and most of the students said they didn’t. I explained to them that it was a day to give thanks and spend time with family. I taught them how to say, “I am thankful for…” and helped them translate what they were thankful for into English - “life, food, a home, family, friends and God”. It was such a fun experience, even though it was a little crazy with 30 energetic students in each class! I only have one more English class, and I am very sad to say goodbye to the students. Before I ended my solo class, I took a moment to tell the students I was very proud of them and that they needed to keep practicing English. I told them that I was not perfect at Spanish, but I still tried to speak the language. I reminded them that it’s okay to make mistakes. I hope my time with the students encouraged them and gave them a bit more confidence to speak English. - Public Health Project: The project is off to a great start. We visited a few more homes in the past couple of weeks and discovered just how big this project is. It takes about 3 hours just to visit one home and speak with the family. I am still enjoying the project a lot. Although the people are skeptical at first, by the end of our visit they are smiling and happy we stopped by. And sometimes when I see them walking down the street later in the week, they greet me with a smile! During our visits, we have come across quite a few people with serious medical needs but were afraid to seek care. We were able to examine them and provide medical advice and medicine. In addition to house visits, I have been working on a database to store the information that we collect from the project. So far, we have completed about 8 homes, and there are still many many homes left to visit in the village. I am a little disappointed because I know we will not finish the project before I leave, but I am thankful I had to opportunity to help get the project off the ground. I only have 2 weeks left in Mexico. I am so excited to see my family and friends. Oh how I have missed them dearly. I can’t wait to celebrate the holidays with them and share my stories. But leaving is bittersweet. I’ve worked hard to develop relationships with the young women and it’s difficult to leave just as our friendships are blossoming. I’m going to miss the English classes and the students- I never thought I would enjoy teaching, but it is definitely a new desire on my heart. I will miss playing with the band at the church and encouraging others to sing even when they think they can’t. I will miss sitting at the kitchen table each morning with the family that opened their home to me; eating granola and talking about a variety of topics that range from the Muppets to the Bible. I will miss sitting around fires, eating something made of corn and listening to conversations I only half understand. And I will miss my time working in the clinic and using medicine to connect with the villagers. In my heart, I knew this would happen. I knew I would fall in love with Mexico and the people and want to stay longer. But I also know that everything happens for a reason and that God is somehow orchestrating my life and future. I trust that He has a plan…who knows what the future may hold? But for now, I am excited to see my family and then to start a new job in the new year. Life moves so quickly, and I truly believe each moment counts; the mundane and the adventure. I know that purpose and true happiness only comes from knowing Jesus and trusting Him. Blessings and Love!
2 Comments
Eunice De Barros
11/27/2018 10:17:21 pm
That was an informative update. I enjoyed reading it and the previous ones too.
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11/28/2018 09:54:25 am
Thanks for sharing Chantal. I love reading your updates! They are very interesting and full of color. For sure God is working in and through you and blessing those around you. I am excited to hear the other stories and experiences you have had. So looking forward to having you home for a short while before you head off on your next adventure. Love you!
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