I am not like:

I am not like Marcela. Marcela lets us live all over her house. If we were not here, she would have the upstairs bathroom all to herself since her husband is in the states, instead she shares it with other people and tries to stay out of OUR way. She gives us full run of the kitchen, outdoor sink for our laundry, any food we see, television........ She currently has no key to her own house because we have them. She has absolutely no time to herself as she works her business about 12 hours per day then still has time to smile and love on us. She left for the US for 3 weeks during our stay and gave us no instructions on using ¨her¨stuff, she considers nothing off limits to us. When we say anything about being in her way, she motions to the house and says ¨only for use, only for use¨, meaning the only reason God gave it to her is so others can use it. She forgot when we were leaving, thinking we had about 3 more weeks here and teared up when we told her our departure date.

I am not like my reader, Melissa. Melissa is 17 years old, very wise and spiritual for her age. She is a fierce believer in God, keeping a promise to pray 1 hour each day for over 3 years now. She was very late for our session today. She had been to class at her English institute to pick up her final grade for the current session. She waited at the bus stop for the bus that would bring her to me and the bus did not come. She decided to walk 3 streets to another place. Along the way (a way she was not supposed to be going) she met an older man who is a family friend. He sells orange juice on the street for a living. He asked if she could go to his house and prepare breakfast for his mother who is 83 and blind. Melissa went, prepared the breakfast 3 times due to a problem with bitter water in the house, had to leave to go by more canned milk, fed the woman, listened to her for a few minutes. She arrived about 40 minutes late for our 45 minute session with a smile on her face and a love for ¨older ladies because they are so wise and know so much about God that they can teach her¨.

I am not like Millie, Luis, and Raul, our babysitters. They have each taken several hours a day from their ongoing responsibilities to make our work easier by being with us. And they have done it faithfully and without the hint of complaint or frustration for 6 weeks! Their jobs, studies, and families have not let them out of any responsibility, they just add the LST work to what they already do.

I am not like Miguel who opens up his life and shares his deepest fears, struggles, and secrets with a woman he does not know and who cannot speak his language. And is older than his mother!

I am not like Josue´who is openly and honestly letting me see the battle within his spirit as he tries to allow God to change a lifetime of thinking one certain way.

I am not enough like Jesus who I see in every face that shares my life here.