yes i know it's been WAAAAY too long since i posted something words-wise. (not that i'm saying my words are wise ...) anyway ... here's what's going on. i've been to Richmond 6 times in the last ... 2 weeks ... i suppose. it's not that far, really -- just over an hour, and there's usually not a whole lot of traffic to contend with. sometimes the being there is draining. sometimes the going and coming back. please understand, this is not complaining, it's just a recitation of what is involved in ministry in a rural area, specifically in regards to medical care and visiting folks in the hospital, and issues that arise in working with hispanics.

Edith doesn't have a job, but she has to have her gall bladder removed. MCV is asking for a deposit of 1,000 - $500 each to the surgeon and for the procedure, to be followed by a payment plan for the balance.

she has NO income. she doesn't qualify for financial aid because she's not a resident alien or a US citizen. we drove over, sat for ... 4 hours to be seen by a (kind, friendly) doctor for all of 15 minutes, then waited another half hour to be told about the deposit requirement.

i UNDERSTAND there are costs involved. i really truly DO understand that. but it seems that unless her gall bladder ruptures and threatens her life (if that even happens) they're not going to operate.

Jose injured his arm in a work accident, and needs to go to occupational therapy 2 or 3 times a week (this week twice, next week 3 times). he spends an hour and a half to two hours in therapy or meeting with the doctor at a time. it's roughly a two hour trip each direction, counting leaving, picking him up and dropping him off and getting back home. so that's 5 or 6 hours out of the day that i am away from the local congregation.

yeah, they are both my 'local' congregations, the anglo and hispanic folks.

i've been able to overlap and visit some folks who are in the hospital, so that's been good, but i've felt myself start to drag.

on the myers-briggs, i'm an INFP. the I means i get my energy from solitude. Jose is either shy, an introvert, or still doesn't know what to make of me, since we only met a couple of days ago. we talk some on the drives back and forth, but haven't delved into any serious discussions yet. part of me is okay with that, but another part of me is thinking i could be using that time to ... break the ice more. talk about faith issues, stuff like that.

it's funny how expectations -- my own self-imposed expectations can be the most ... draining ...

i spend a good part of my time helping people by getting them to somewhere or bringing them FROM somewhere. good thing i enjoy driving ... i'm really wishing for a 15 passenger van capacity, with a hybrid engine consumption factor. do they make those yet??

so where is God in all of this????

I keep finding him in new places.

in the joking, in the quiet comments, in the building of the bonds of trust that make them comfortable with me and with Leslie. i ESPECIALLY see it when three of the guys from white stone drive up here to the used auto parts place just up the road from us, and 'just drop by' to say hi and visit with Leslie and the kids (i was ... surprise surprise... on my way back from Richmond), and then ended up eating supper with us. Caleb and Judson absolutely clobbered Jose ... they got to playing and wrestling with him, and hanging on his legs and arms and stuff ... at some point they settled down enough for Caleb to teach him how to play 'Go Fish'... but to have them feel at ease enough with us to drop by unnannounced ... it made them feel more and more like family to us ... and hopefully, us to them.

grace ....

and Peace.