Restoring

Psalm 80:3

Restore us O God.  Make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

That was the memory verse at the church that we went to last Sunday....a mere day after my last post.   And I think I desperately NEEDED it.   And I needed this week, this week of awesome RESTORATION to process and realize that God IS who He says He is.   I don't always know what that means, but I know He is bigger and better than me.   

A dear little lady taught Sunday School and reviewed this verse with us many many times.   The title to her lesson was HOPE IN PAIN.   I had to smile.  Could God have spoken any more directly into my heart?  I don't think I understand one single word that she said after that...but it meant SO MUCH to know that just the title of the lesson was one that I NEEDED to know.    And then the rest of the week, the team in town, Brookside- continued to pour into my life, affirm that God is GOD and He is sovereign and that sometimes we just don't get it and that's okay.   I felt like they ministered to me in lots of different ways- I loved watching them work with the patients and each other- they constantly served each other, the Dominicans and me...before they served themselves.    I was humbled.   I was able to have some real conversations and learn stuff about people and listen to their life stories.   It was meaningful- it was beautiful- it reminded me again of how much I love what I get to do here.  

And then- we went to some of the most AMAZING places for barrio clinics.  On Monday we went HIGH in the mountains to a place named Montecitos.  I'll attach some pix below but it was breathtaking. And staring out the windows on the way up (we had to ditch the bus and then catch a Daihaitsu truck (spelling?) because the roads were treacherous!) at the stunning scenary and then arriving there and finding more and more beauty and amazing patients and fantastic moro for lunch- I honestly did not want to leave.  And I can't wait to go back.    It seemed like God was spreading His hands over the terrain and saying "Look what I made!  See how GRAND I am- see what I can DO- start to TRUST me!"   It's a constant reminder to me.   This world is Big but He's got the whole thing in His hands.    Oh and Kari and Kristin were with me and we were the 3 Musketeers and I love my friends.   And I think we could all be in awe together and it was soooooo sweet to share the moments.  

Thursday was the same- La Florida- somewhere out in the mountains in timbuktu-you-need-4-wheel-drive-to-get-here place.   I am SO glad that Dan Ogg was with me to take over the Gray Truck- because I think we were literally scaling goat paths.  And again- we were in the most precious campo with the kindest folks who handed me a pumpkin when we were leaving.   And I got to triage a woman with her 11th baby (just a week or so old) and her 16 year old at her side.   I took a picture because she was clearly a rock star and a few years younger than me (ELEVEN KIDS!).   

And in the week somewhere was a night curled up with Dan and Kari watching a movie and just generally being FAMILY.  Because we are family here and we NEED each other and I love them more and more and if there are tears or laughter- there is no one else that I want to share it with more than those guys.   And today was a quick trip to Pueblo Nuevo (LOVED seeing my fellas there- quick hug to Ulise and others!)  and setting up the med room for next week and laundry and cruising through the clinic and meeting with Livida and Perdomo and replying to (countless?) emails and grocery shopping and a quick trip to the salon and then...ahhhh dominos in Corbano Sur with the vecinos of Olvis.     That might have felt more right than anything else at this moment.  :)  Even tho I continue to lose HORRIBLY.... then I plodded a quick (ha!) mile at the track, scurried back to an english class in Corbano Sur (yay!) and now...home in Room 16 at the Casa Huesped (the Guesthouse) to set my (3!) fantasy football teams for Sunday and eat macaroni and cheese and catch up on Jesus Calling and this blog.   Oh also, Kari and I decided that every single thing with orange cheese on it is GOOD.   

I feel good.  I feel restored.  I feel like God, in His infinite Goodness....tolerates my infantile tantrums and tears and doubt and keeps picking me up, dusting off my pants and saying "let's try this again, Nicole- I have LOVED YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE".   I'm so not worthy.  And I am so fickle in my faith.  But I'm in.   

nik

Bienva makes everything happen!

Monchy gets us where we need to go!

The 18 year old mother of these 7 month old twins carried them and a huge diaper bag at least 30 minutes to reach our clinic, while dragging a crying 2 year old as well.   She was feeding them sugar water since she didn't have any milk.   They weigh about 10 pounds each at 7 months.  

Here's mama and the 2 year old.  Couldn't be cuter.  Kari and Kristen carried the twins home with her.  She held Kari's hand almost the whole way back.

This little baby is 21 days old.  Precious.

Yup- thats how we roll into the campos when the roads are too bad for Monchy's bus.  Comfort First!  These guys were troopers!

The 3 Amigas- how awesome to share this day in Montecitos together!

In La Florida- the woman who had 11 babies.  This is her oldest and youngest.

view out the driver's side.  Yay for 4 wheel drive!

Crazy beautiful!