And the rains just keep coming

Right now I am in Brookes Point to be with a burn patient. This is the same burn patient that had a seizure last year and fell in the fire. Poor Bisil fell in again. And this time he needs a blood transfusion and well, things are not looking good in that department. Please pray for him- he is in the district hospital here in Brookes and that requires a special pray in and of itself. I have been sent to Brookes to stay with Michel until the Georges come. The Georges don't like to have one person down in Brookes and Michel would like to leave, but the Georges absolutely forbid that I, a young white American girl stay alone in Brookes. I have no comment really.

Work at the clinic is getting busier. While I have been down here in the lowlands a baby died up there. Poor little Dyuim, he was just at the clinic the week before, but by the time his parents brought him back (a week later when Wendy said in two days) his lungs were so filled with fluid that even CPR would not save him. I am glad I wasn't there- I know I would have cried.

So yeah, about emotions, I feel more emotional here. I don't really like it, but oh well. I find myself sometimes ready to cry and then I just burst out laughing. Yeah, it is really insane. I hate chloroquine.

Anyway, on to a different subject, I have now officially hiked in and out the mountains twice- leading the way three times even though I had no clue where to go. The Pelawans just follow close behind and correct me when I go up the wrong path. The last time I hiked in I made it is 2.5 hours- Wendy was shocked, she thought it would take me like 4 hours at least. Especially since I was carrying my backpack which weighed about 15-20 pounds. The trail is steep at some points, but is really not all the bad, no matter what Kiana would have one believe.

The food here can be trying- this coming from a person who never complains about healthy food. But the roots get old real fast and there are only some many times you can try to convince yourself that kumbahang is french fries before you give up. Pulug and segley are similar in flavor. I do love the bananas and sour sap and guava and passion fruit and all the other wonderful fruits here. Most of the vegetables are okay, but yeah, they get old too. Bread is a luxury let me tell you. You begin to miss it really fast up there.

As for the mission part of my being here, well, things are very slow with the Georges gone. Last week we went to church and only two Pelawans were there. One person on for a sermon didn't show and hardly anyone did mission work after church. A praise however, Ugil, who is a faithful church member is coming with her husband every week, Dyi' Dyi' who is not a church member. Please pray that he will come to accept the Lord. It is hard sometimes to see such a small church and especially difficult to see the leaders in the church backsliding, but as it has been said, Satan does not need to attack things that aren't looking promising. That should give us hope- the message is being received and Satan is just working overtime to discourage us and the members. All I can say is pray. It does more good than any wishing, hoping or thinking. Once the Georges come back I am sure things will pick up again, but the church will need to be able to stand once the Georges leave for good.

Well, one of my favorite people to visit in the mountains is Kela' Ulu. He is always interested and asks lots of questions about all of the Bible stories. I really pray that he comes to accept the Lord as well. One hard thing about being in the mountains is that it has a 1800s feel to it. It seems like there is nothing wrong with the world since you are so isolated. I have almost forgotten about the hurricanes and disasters and terrorism that is in the world being in the mountains for just one month. Most of them have never been out of the mountains further than Bingbilang. So I am sure that they cannot see all the signs the Western world can see that the world is coming to its last days. The sense of urgency and the realization that the world is on a downward spiral is not evident here. In some ways that is nice and peaceful, but it gives a false sense of security sort of. I can feel that the Lord is coming soon and that things just keep getting worse, but can they? I have to wonder sometimes if they do. I am praying though that they come to accept the Lord through faith though, rather that needing the see the signs of the end. And for the parents whose baby just died, I really wish I could tell them that they could see their baby again someday if only they would believe in Jesus, but it is so difficult sometimes. The people you come to love the most here still seem so lost. There is definitely work to be done, but I glad that I am hear to take part in it. Even if all I get to do is make some friendships and help in the clinic, I know that the Lord can use it.

Well, that is all for now. Time is short and I should be going. More to come once something exciting actually happens (just kidding, it is all exciting, sort of...)

Becky