#3

As you could probably guess, this last Sunday was presentation #3, delivered by the handsome husband. He did a fantastic job, always does, and I was left to be technical support. I did not do a fantastic job. In the end, it all worked out, and the presentation evoked quite a reaction from the congregation.

Until this point, our presentations and inserts in the bulletin have been on the neutral informative side about the region, the people, etc. But Tom hit them yesterday with a few of the concerns in the area, the needs, the misguided (and, honestly, scary and sad) spiritual beliefs of the Cabecar people against those with disabilities.

Tom highlighted the areas we will be working on with the indigenous on the remote reserves. Chimney construction to evacuate the smoke-filled houses (they cook on open fires within the home, no chimney results in an abundance of respiratory infections, one of the leading causes of death among children in these people groups). He also mentioned how my degree with tie into improving the mission's efforts towards improving nutritional support to the people, helping prevent infections, and, possibly, improving latrine design. Considering these people groups do not speak Spanish, communication barriers are an obsticle. The mission, as will we, takes the approach quoted from St. Francis "At all times preach the gospel and, if need be, use words." We will be committing our lives for a few months to improving the physical and health needs of these people and, as Tom put it, bringing the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting.


Next week is #4 and the final of this series. Praise God for these opportunities to inform and build a support network.