Day trips

The last week has been a busy one, but fun. Wednesday we decided to take the two youngest daughters of our house help to the jungle. They love Natty and Natty loves them and they all love monkeys...perfect! So, we drove down the windy road with several thousand feet drop-offs on one side until we arrived at the Green Path- an animal rescue/lunch/hostel place. We toured around to see the various tucans and parrots, one friendly cotimundi, a ton of turtles, some guinea fowl and a couple friendly monkeys. We all got our chance to hold the monkeys- one big, black one and one tiny squirrel one- the girls were enchanted. After lunch we went down to the river, found a quiet spot, and splashed around in the water for an hour or so. Again, the girls were delighted. The ride back was a pretty quiet one with the girls sacked out in the back and a steady climb back to altitude. Friday, a friend from church who lives in the neighborhood called to invite us to lake Titicaca for the day to eat trout. Since Scotty was preaching on Sunday, we left him home to work while Natty and I joined our friends and another family from church for the drive out. Traffic was heavy since Holy Week is a big travel week here, but we made it to the hotel on the water where we enjoyed a tasty lunch and then time out in the yard out back to play and look at the gorgeous blue lake. It was a perfect day- warm enough to be comfortable but always with a cool breeze. We got a short boat ride and I enjoyed spending time with 2 ladies while Natty played with the other kids. Easter Sunday I was helping out with the toddlers Sunday school while Scotty preached. We invited our pastor and his family over for lunch and they hung around into the evening. We introduced them to Easter egg hunting, which their 4 year old and Natty greatly enjoyed, and spent the rest of the afternoon eating and chatting. It was good to see the 2 kids interacting, even though neither one had much of an idea of what the other was saying. Kids don't seem to mind these things.

Yesterday I saw my doctor. It was the first time since shortly after Zion died that I had seen her and it took a fair amount of mental exercise to not let myself slip into a dark place as everything in her office and she herself remind me of my little boy and his quick life. As I waited in one of the private rooms, I kept reminding myself of how God redeems all things and that I shouldn't expect things to go as poorly next time. However, after chatting about the strict restrictions that she wants me to be guided by and the continual reminder of medical care that just isn't up to American standards, I left a bit concerned and pensive. It's hard not to fear what next time will be like and to realize that living on the 3rd floor will probably keep me mostly housebound. Can I even get pregnant again? How long will it take? So many questions and doubts and fears. Again, I took a moment to remember that God is big and that He is capable of working in a mighty way in our lives and in my body. Fear and doubt is never helpful. Scotty and I long for more children. Natty is anxious for a sibling. And yet, we must wait. What does God have for us in the waiting? I want to learn to be content in Him, not in my circumstances, since I've finally come to understand that they can't always be as I would like them. It's a good and a hard lesson.