The little things, give them back!

I was hoping culture shock had moved right along and wasn’t going to visit me here in Argentina but last week it did. Exactly at the 3 month mark everything began to hit me at once. I could look at the different type of water heater or shower and cry. Because I was aware of what I was going through I began to pray, and talk about it. I was not going to let all the new little overwhelming things steal my joy. Another way I got through it was by thinking about someone God has placed in my life…

Mariela is 28 and because of family circumstances has to live the life of a 38 year old. Over a year ago Mariela’s father was accused of fraud. After that happened the city seized most of their possessions but could not prove her father was guilty. However, being that the justice system in South America is very corrupt, he was still held under arrest. He fell ill and has been held in a hospital for the last 9 months or so. Recently he was taken back to jail when something happened with the recent governor. When he was taken back to jail he began to use the example God had given him preaching to his fellow inmates. He had led 4 men to Christ when he fell ill again and recently was back in the hospital again. When he became sick, those men stayed up all night praying and reading the bibles I took them. Moreover, Mariela has had to grow-up very fast, she is running her families internet café business, and she has had to quit school to help her family. Her mother is now working when she didn’t work before and is now figuring out how to run the family. What does all this mean? It means when the little things start to become too much to handle we have to refocus and realize why we are where we are. I open up my apartment sometimes just so Mariela and her brothers have a place to go and feel free from the rest of the world. I go see her father and take him moves etc. I remove the little frustrating things from my life, find the positive and give them back!