Swagger Coach

So I AM the swagger coach but I'll get into that in a minute.

For now, a small rundown on the last week.   Some of you have been praying for me since we had a tough week in surgery about 3-4 weeks ago.  Well, this past Monday I was able to visit our patient.   Our  MIRACLE patient.   That God miraculously kept His Hand on and saved.   Who grinned and smiled at me and who I held in my arms and squeezed as tight as I could.   Whose mother's face made the tears start to squeak out of the corners of my eyes.    It was cathartic.   It was a treasure.   It settled my heart, which had been a little dark and bitter about stuff like that.    Monday was just awesome.  

Oh  and Tuesday.   Ufff- had some meetings on Tuesday but they were ALL good.  Although the best thing about Tuesday was doing liturgy readings with Laura, Kari and Kristen.  We had Girls Bible Study (or whatever that is that we do when we get together and like...TALK about stuff and pray a little) and we read about Liturgical Prayer and then we read some liturgies from the Book of Common Prayer and it kinda slayed me a little bit.    Because in the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook that we are working through- the chapter on Liturgical Prayer reads "Liturgical patterns call us to let go of our compulsion to lead or plunge ahead in any way we want.   Their rhythms draw us into established patterns of attending to God.   They give us space to use our voice, find our words, name our sin, hear God's word, and gaze on our Creator.......     Alongside the popularity of conversational prayer....stands the desire to be rooted in something ancient that has survived the centuries."  

So I loved it and I love it and I'm hoping we can continue with it.  We had a fascinating conversation about prayer and history and liturgy and I want to learn more about keeping prayer/worship/adoration on God and not on me (it's kinda hard to keep it off me, actually).  

Wednesday- El Cercado.   I could probably stop right there and you'd know that I had a SWEEETTT day but I guess I'll get into it a teeny bit.   Laura and I caught a ride up with Dr. Perdomo (and Lionel Richie was very present on our trip as well..but enough on that) and then proceeded to do a little visiting and then off to our El C home.   Lunch- holding sweet nephews- laughing with the crew- hearing stories- catching up- home sweet home.  Nothin like it up there.     At 2 we headed back to the clinic to catch up with Pastor Morales and the rest of our team from San Juan from the New Community Church in NC.  These guys have been coming to the campos of El Cercado for the last few years handing out rice and beans.   So Laura and I tagged along as well and got to see a few of the kids in the Child Nutrition Program who were in the same areas (Bautista and Derrumbadero)  too.   And we took turns on the moto with Angel and got to snuggle some sweet babes and talk to some super-grateful smiley folks who remembered the team from last year and were delighted to see them.    We finished up with a meal at Morale's house of moro and chicken and salad and bread and this phenomenal orange juice with cane sugar and basically it was completely amazing.   The team took off for San Juan but Laura and I hung to chill in Cercado and visit another patient with Victor.   And it IS amazing, that I get to do this.  I get to drive in the mountains and sit in the living room of someone that had surgery in "my" clinic a couple weeks ago and we share candy and laugh and talk about life and I feel so grateful and surprised and it cracks me up that this is my life.   Then Laura and I meet up in the park with some fellas in the Peace Corp and check out their digs and talk about life around here and shoot the breeze.  Then we walk home and catch up with the fam and stumble in bed and geez- we're tired.

And Thursday I did some quick computer work (TWENTY EMAILS since I left San Juan less than 24 hours before!) and then Laura and I do some "visiting" that may have involved some dominos.  But it's quality time and she's seriously catching on to this and we are loving it and learning and throwing down the pieces with the teeniest bit more authority than before.   Back to clinic, then to lunch at the casa and hugs goodbye and wow- do-I-miss-them, then back to San Juan.  Catching up with the team and some work on the home front.  And later that night I take them to Bon for ice cream and watch the street kids work the scene.   And they are GOOD- but sweet enough to share a bite with me when I ask and obedient enough that they'll pick up their trash when I call at them to do it.    I think they need some sweet hugs and attention even more than ice cream....and they'll stand closer to me than they did before.

Friday morning team goodbyes are always sad- these guys did such a great job and were such servants and their attitudes challenged me and I was inspired.   But off they go and we start cleaning up/ preparing for the next teams/catching up with each other.   And some friends drop in to visit and play dominos (see the pattern developing here) and we tell jokes and tease in spanish and talk trash and it's all good.   Laura and I headed over to Corbano Sur around 4:15 to catch up with friends and attend Olvis's English class.  Which is AWESOME.  

And then we head back to the vecinos and play dominos for maybe another THREE HOURS and roast marshmellows in the street over a grill and eat brownies and giggle and carry on.   

Saturday is a big day.  Laura and I went to the big city.   We took Caribe Tours in and got there at 2 and took a cab to Estadio Quisqueya.   And we scalped some tickets and sat inside and it was just as beautiful as I thought it would be.  And we heard the cracks of bats and the thumps of gloves and everything SMELLED like baseball and we were incredibly happy.  

  Our helpful ticket scalper Omar (who kinda lied to me about the location of our seats but whatever....7 rows behind home plate works just fine for me too!) hailed us a public car and we took off for late lunch.  Which, JOY, turned out to be hamburgers and french fries and a FROSTY at Wendys.  It was kinda a little bit like Christmas.  There was real american ketchup and everything.  

And the game.  Oh the game.  We went back for the game at 5.  And Laura and I LOVE baseball.   We're Gigantes fans and we don't CARE if they are in last place.  Pedro Feliz and Wilson Valdez are here and thats all that matters.   And our pitcher goes 7 innings.   And the Gigantes APLASTO (squashed) the Leones 10-1.  

Back to San Juan today.   A great meeting with our current team who has an incredible passion to be involved here in San Juan.  Well- and THAT's infectious- we want to be part of it too.   Dinner at Pedro Burgers and then meandering around downtown San Juan- all decked out for Christmas.  We got goofy with the camera....and I think perhaps my favorite Christmas decoration is the donkey.   It's just cool like that.

Oh and speaking of cool- my Swagger Coach tshirt is here to stay.  I found it in the donation pile and I can't believe ANYONE would want to ever give it away.  It's probably the coolest tshirt I own now.   Whoever you are....sweet donation friend....THANK YOU.