Wading in Rivers of Healing

Two days ago I celebrated another birthday!  I have not been looking forward to it because of being away from my friends and family.  The 18th I posted on facebook that all I wanted for my birthday was a Dunkin Donuts coffee, a doughnut, a rainy day on a comfy couch watching a movie, but I guess I would have to settle for high winds, dirt, school, and meetings.  Well, boy was I wrong...I woke up yesterday morning to thunderstorms and heavy rain.  As I was getting ready to face the rainy walk to school, there was a knock on my door.  It was Laura, Rachel, and Danielle, neighbors of mine who came bearing coffee and waffles.  The first great surprise of the day!

After enjoying our breakfast together, we were joined by Kaitlyn, another neighbor, for our trek to school.  Little did we know of the lake of water that waited for us between home and school.  As we started the wading process through the water, the water was near our ankles, but as we moved further down the path the water was up to our knees and water was spilling over into our rainboots.  Every now and then we stopped and laughed at the fact we were actually wading to school.  When we arrived at school the playgrounds were covered in water and the side walks to our classrooms were slowly being covered by water. 

Usually by 7:45 many students would already be at school, but we were noticing that very few students were at school.  Come to find out many of the dirt roads were covered with water.  Taxis were not picking people up and buses were getting stuck.  The only students that were getting to school were those that had a ride from parents.  There were also teachers that were having a hard time getting to school.  With a lot of thought and debating, the board and administration decided to close school for the day...I had the day OFF from school on my birthday for the first time ever!! Yippee!!  I still got cards and gifts from some students and teachers as well...doubly blessed!

After sitting around and talking with most of the single ladies here at school, we decided to venture to Danielle and Rachel's apartment (across the yard from mine) to enjoy some girl time and a movie.  We found a different route home with less water, but with 9 ladies traveling together you can imagine the laughter that comminced when a few girls tried carrying one girl over puddles because she did not have rainboots on.  We finally made it home, dried off, put on warm clothes, talked, and enjoyed some painting of fingernails.  I am not usually a fingernail painting kind of girl, but I joined in on the fun!  Throughout our time together, we watched a movie, had birthday muffins, and a great pasta concoction that Danielle threw together. Later in the afternoon, we headed out for our weekly meeting and afterward went out for dessert.

 It was so nice to be surrounded by these amazing girls all day.  I have been continually blessed by their presence since I got here.  To know that I am loved and cared about even in this new place has been a blessing from the beginning!  They have been a comfort and healing place to go to and share my feelings, to cry on a shoulder, to laugh with, and eat with.

As I reflected on my birthday and these past weeks here, I am reminded of Ezekiel 47: 1-12. (The River of Healing)  I not only waded through a "river" of water the morning of my birthday, I also have been wading through a river of healing and love as I am surrounded by these and other women and men of God here in Bolivia.  I have been prayed over and prayed for since before I arrived, and the healing waters continue to deepen!

"Everything that touches the water of this river will live." Ezekiel 47: 9a NLT  I am praying circles around this verse to become truth for the SCCLC students and staff, that everyone that enters those gates and our presence will be shown the reason for living and the true living water bubble up inside them.