Letter from Karen
Dear friends and family,
Stay tuned to hear from the girls. It’s a challenge for them to find time to write for the website as they are on the laptops for MANY hours a day doing their home schooling. It’s a much more rigorous program than we anticipated. Also, they are so accustom to life here now, they feel they have very little to say that their father or I haven’t already said.
First, some discouraging news. Last Sunday we were away from the house all day. When we returned, we noticed that someone had stolen our back porch light bulb. Just last night, the dog that lives across from our house started barking in the middle of the night. Ed got up to check it out. I then heard footsteps by our bedroom window. I thought it was Ed walking around the house. He eventually got me up because he wanted to go outside and look around the exterior of the house. I told him I thought he already had. I convinced him to not go out, and we eventually went back to sleep. We woke up to an empty front porch where a (very used) hammock used to be, and out back, a disgusting long handled brush (that came with the house) was gone. Whoever took these things certainly was desperate, or thought we were displaying them for their perusal. Ed spoke with our landlady this morning. She firmly believes the thieves are Moskito children, and the best deterrent is to keep our outdoor lights on all night (except the electricity goes off between 3-9am).
On a much more serious note, the Griggs’ next door neighbor was murdered in his taxi (a small pick-up truck), out of town quite a ways in a remote location. No one knows for sure whom or why, but there is many rumors. We new something had happened, because that same evening we walked to the Griggs home after church (Ed had wanted to see the end of the World Series). There was a substantial crowd of people outside a home. When we arrived at the Griggs, Laurel had been crying. They had been neighbors with this man and his family for 5 years. The crowd we saw, they explained, would stick around, until the body is buried. The authorities had brought the body to the hospital, where it will lay on ice until the burial. Laurel said it sounds morbid, but a way to extend help to the family at this time is to offer ice for the deceased. Ray said that the caskets are made of wood, with a glass opening over their face. He said you could see the persons head surrounded with the packed ice. The Griggs also told us, traditionally, the mourners sing in the streets the whole night before the burial, to ward off evil spirits. Please continue to pray for our safety. Even though we don’t fear, wisdom dictates we remain vigilant (Prov. 22:3 & Prov. 14:16).
The Sunday we were away all day, we road in the back of a truck to a ranch a few miles from town. The landscape outside of town looks just like the pictures I’ve seen of the savannahs in Africa. I asked Ed if that was accurate, having lived in Africa, and he said yes.
The plan for Sunday was to have a day of study sessions for new believers on the foundational doctrines of Christianity from the Bible. Ed was one of the teachers. We had a wonderful time except for the chiggers that devoured Ed and my midsections. The girls were spared because they were either in a hammock under a pavilion or in the water swimming most of the day. We weren’t totally aware of the bugs´ effect until the next morning.
Chiggers are an extremely small (could sit on a pin point) insect that jump from the grass and look for a snug area, like under a waistband, to feast. They then burrow into the skin. You scratch it and that pushes them in further. They eventually die and scab over. Once you start itching them you’re done for. Sleep is difficult. The locals believe Vicks is a cure all (it smothers the insect). We haven’t had to buy any yet as the Griggs gave us some CHIGGERX from the states. They are very familiar with them, having come from Texas. Supposedly, this is the worst time of year for them. The only preventative measure you can take is to stay off the grass.
On the way home from the ranch, it was a beautiful moonlit night. I realized for the first time how unfamiliar the stars look in this part of the world. No familiar dippers or northern star. Ray said they are visible, but are so close to the horizon; the trees are in the way.
Do any of you remember about 30 to 35 years ago a kid’s toy called (I think) “clackers”? It was two balls (acrylic or plastic) on either end of a piece of string that you swing up and down so the balls clack above your hand then below. It’s all the rage here. The kids play with them as they walk to school. A flash from the past. The only difference is that these here are made from wood.
On Wednesday, the 27th, Ed and I went to speak with the 9th grade class again. After we left last time the KIDS asked that we please come again. The Director asked that we speak with another class. We’re scheduled to go twice a week until they break. I’m not sure when that will be. All the other schools break from Nov. to mid Feb., but this particular school will stay in session, as the teachers were on strike earlier this year, and so now the have to make up that time.
On Thursday, Ed went to the military installation down the road to teach the soldiers from the Word of God. The Commander made all the soldiers attend. Ed taught from the book of John chapter 1. When he was done, they applauded and asked if he would come twice instead of just once a week from now on. Wow! The Lord continues to amaze us with the openness of the people and the multitude of opportunities to reach out to the lost. Please pray there is fruit that remains. We’re trying to stay focused on that which will directly further the Kingdom.
Yesterday we went to the hospital to visit a sister from church. By the time we got there she had already been discharged. Not having a phone has a few disadvantages (but not many!) While we were there we decided to walk around to see how the Lord might lead. We prayed with a dying young woman (probably an AIDS victim), and a few babies and their mothers. Two women came to Christ. One of them only spoke the Moskito language well. Just when Ed started to try to share with her the greatness of the gospel, another visitor walked in to visit a patient and spontaneously started translating. This visitor is also the one who asked us to please come and pray with the dying woman. We spotted a little boy sitting all by himself on a bench hooked up to an I.V. He said his mom was at work and he had come to the hospital because he had fallen off his hammock. It seems giving an I.V. to everyone that comes for medical help is S.O.P.
Last night, Katrina brought a woman who’s visiting her, to our house so we could meet her. She’s a N. American who has served with Mother Theresa in India and also in Nepal as a nurse. What’s amazing is that she knows Ed’s high school classmate Keith Leslie who runs Save the Children in Katmandu, Nepal. It certainly is a small world.
We hope and pray all is well with everyone. Please e-mail us if you have time at livingwatersca@gmn-usa.com. We’d LOVE to hear from you and hear about what is happening in your lives.
“As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.”
Prov. 25:25
Take care, and may the Lord bless you with more of His truth,
Love,
Karen and family
Stay tuned to hear from the girls. It’s a challenge for them to find time to write for the website as they are on the laptops for MANY hours a day doing their home schooling. It’s a much more rigorous program than we anticipated. Also, they are so accustom to life here now, they feel they have very little to say that their father or I haven’t already said.
First, some discouraging news. Last Sunday we were away from the house all day. When we returned, we noticed that someone had stolen our back porch light bulb. Just last night, the dog that lives across from our house started barking in the middle of the night. Ed got up to check it out. I then heard footsteps by our bedroom window. I thought it was Ed walking around the house. He eventually got me up because he wanted to go outside and look around the exterior of the house. I told him I thought he already had. I convinced him to not go out, and we eventually went back to sleep. We woke up to an empty front porch where a (very used) hammock used to be, and out back, a disgusting long handled brush (that came with the house) was gone. Whoever took these things certainly was desperate, or thought we were displaying them for their perusal. Ed spoke with our landlady this morning. She firmly believes the thieves are Moskito children, and the best deterrent is to keep our outdoor lights on all night (except the electricity goes off between 3-9am).
On a much more serious note, the Griggs’ next door neighbor was murdered in his taxi (a small pick-up truck), out of town quite a ways in a remote location. No one knows for sure whom or why, but there is many rumors. We new something had happened, because that same evening we walked to the Griggs home after church (Ed had wanted to see the end of the World Series). There was a substantial crowd of people outside a home. When we arrived at the Griggs, Laurel had been crying. They had been neighbors with this man and his family for 5 years. The crowd we saw, they explained, would stick around, until the body is buried. The authorities had brought the body to the hospital, where it will lay on ice until the burial. Laurel said it sounds morbid, but a way to extend help to the family at this time is to offer ice for the deceased. Ray said that the caskets are made of wood, with a glass opening over their face. He said you could see the persons head surrounded with the packed ice. The Griggs also told us, traditionally, the mourners sing in the streets the whole night before the burial, to ward off evil spirits. Please continue to pray for our safety. Even though we don’t fear, wisdom dictates we remain vigilant (Prov. 22:3 & Prov. 14:16).
The Sunday we were away all day, we road in the back of a truck to a ranch a few miles from town. The landscape outside of town looks just like the pictures I’ve seen of the savannahs in Africa. I asked Ed if that was accurate, having lived in Africa, and he said yes.
The plan for Sunday was to have a day of study sessions for new believers on the foundational doctrines of Christianity from the Bible. Ed was one of the teachers. We had a wonderful time except for the chiggers that devoured Ed and my midsections. The girls were spared because they were either in a hammock under a pavilion or in the water swimming most of the day. We weren’t totally aware of the bugs´ effect until the next morning.
Chiggers are an extremely small (could sit on a pin point) insect that jump from the grass and look for a snug area, like under a waistband, to feast. They then burrow into the skin. You scratch it and that pushes them in further. They eventually die and scab over. Once you start itching them you’re done for. Sleep is difficult. The locals believe Vicks is a cure all (it smothers the insect). We haven’t had to buy any yet as the Griggs gave us some CHIGGERX from the states. They are very familiar with them, having come from Texas. Supposedly, this is the worst time of year for them. The only preventative measure you can take is to stay off the grass.
On the way home from the ranch, it was a beautiful moonlit night. I realized for the first time how unfamiliar the stars look in this part of the world. No familiar dippers or northern star. Ray said they are visible, but are so close to the horizon; the trees are in the way.
Do any of you remember about 30 to 35 years ago a kid’s toy called (I think) “clackers”? It was two balls (acrylic or plastic) on either end of a piece of string that you swing up and down so the balls clack above your hand then below. It’s all the rage here. The kids play with them as they walk to school. A flash from the past. The only difference is that these here are made from wood.
On Wednesday, the 27th, Ed and I went to speak with the 9th grade class again. After we left last time the KIDS asked that we please come again. The Director asked that we speak with another class. We’re scheduled to go twice a week until they break. I’m not sure when that will be. All the other schools break from Nov. to mid Feb., but this particular school will stay in session, as the teachers were on strike earlier this year, and so now the have to make up that time.
On Thursday, Ed went to the military installation down the road to teach the soldiers from the Word of God. The Commander made all the soldiers attend. Ed taught from the book of John chapter 1. When he was done, they applauded and asked if he would come twice instead of just once a week from now on. Wow! The Lord continues to amaze us with the openness of the people and the multitude of opportunities to reach out to the lost. Please pray there is fruit that remains. We’re trying to stay focused on that which will directly further the Kingdom.
Yesterday we went to the hospital to visit a sister from church. By the time we got there she had already been discharged. Not having a phone has a few disadvantages (but not many!) While we were there we decided to walk around to see how the Lord might lead. We prayed with a dying young woman (probably an AIDS victim), and a few babies and their mothers. Two women came to Christ. One of them only spoke the Moskito language well. Just when Ed started to try to share with her the greatness of the gospel, another visitor walked in to visit a patient and spontaneously started translating. This visitor is also the one who asked us to please come and pray with the dying woman. We spotted a little boy sitting all by himself on a bench hooked up to an I.V. He said his mom was at work and he had come to the hospital because he had fallen off his hammock. It seems giving an I.V. to everyone that comes for medical help is S.O.P.
Last night, Katrina brought a woman who’s visiting her, to our house so we could meet her. She’s a N. American who has served with Mother Theresa in India and also in Nepal as a nurse. What’s amazing is that she knows Ed’s high school classmate Keith Leslie who runs Save the Children in Katmandu, Nepal. It certainly is a small world.
We hope and pray all is well with everyone. Please e-mail us if you have time at livingwatersca@gmn-usa.com. We’d LOVE to hear from you and hear about what is happening in your lives.
“As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.”
Prov. 25:25
Take care, and may the Lord bless you with more of His truth,
Love,
Karen and family
posted by Eric Stephens at 22:53
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