absorbing

I kinda refuse to think about the fact that I've been here 2 months tomorrow.  It's impossible.   Seems like I hopped off the plane and into the postage-stamp-sized rental car yesterday.   And I have 6-7 weeks to go.  Also impossible...and I don't like to think about leaving.     How did this happen?

The last two weeks we've had amazing surgical teams here.   It's always an adventure in the OR, especially with the lapy toys...but I continue to learn and discover new ways to do things.   I've been in the OR or in the clinic nearly 100% of the time when the teams are here.   In fact, my scary room remains scary and unorganized unfortunately.   I'm hoping for some upcoming time to bang out some of the organizing that needs to happen up there.   But OR takes precedence and I DO love watching folks experience life here for the first time.  

But I think what I love the most is building community here.   I love that I can walk to Bartolo and Angellina's house and chill out.  I love visiting my buds at the orphanage, saying hi to familiar faces at the grocery store, waving to the concho drivers that I use, chatting with our translators (the best in the WORLD),  checking in with my dear friends/family in El Cercado,  hanging out with the awesome Dominican staff at the clinic and more.   I love that I watched them "bleed" a sheep on the kitchen table in the clinic yesterday to grow some cultures.   I love driving the blue truck around town- even tho it seems to have a litany of health ailments.   I love the smell of lunch cooking from the neighbors.   I love hanging my laundry outside on the line.   I love the worship songs in the Central Mennonite Church on Sunday.   I love the mangu that I had for dinner tonight at a new friends' house.    I love that I've had visitors come to the clinic TO SEE ME.    I love that I met a woman yesterday from Hondo Valley and after I remarked that I really really want to visit her town, she handed me her name and phone number and encouraged me to find her when I can get there.  

Ahhhh this life is so absorbing here.  I feel completely plugged in here and sometimes when I catch a breather I think that I probably have no idea of what is happening in the States, no idea of what is going on in my home scene.    It's almost unreal.   It's certainly not that I don't miss my family and friends- it's that I am entrenched in the MINUTE, in the PRESENT so much that I haven't thought much outside of THIS PRESENT.   Bizarre.    I'm trying to work through this.   What does it mean to live in the minute, in this very MOMENT?  

And this week I've been working through identity.   Where exactly am I finding my identity again?  I seem to go through this routinely....struggling with finding myself only through Christ and not through other stupid things.     Trying to have WHO I AM be more about WHO HE IS instead of WHAT I WANT.   Oh gosh- and the things that I want!  Yipes- that's kinda scary.    Processing processing processing.   It's always a process with me.

Anyway- spent this weekend on the super fun front.   Was in the clinic yesterday intermittently viewing some of the nearly 176 kids that were assessed for possible tonsil/adenoid surgery beginning Monday morning.    I got to see some surgical patients with Cora to set up for possible surgery next week as well. And today I ran some errands, visited friends,  and hung out with my sweet roomie and two couples who are here early for next weeks team.    Tomorrow the madness of team arrival will begin again...and time will fly by and I will wonder HOW it is possible that I've been here 2 months.   Craziness.