His Eyes

I remember a bit from Saturday Night Live from many years ago.  Someone answers the phone at a sorority saying "Delta Delta Delta, can I help ya help ya help ya?" 

Sometimes talking about the work of the Milk Project can be difficult in terms of just the messiness of life.  The same could be said for Church work as well sometimes.  

I won't post any pictures or mention any names, but just recently there has been situations that can be hard to process...
1.  A young man leaving the project because his father realized he is old enough to work full time and needed the extra help.  (He is 13)
2.  Another young man running away from home to the Milk project director's house.
3.  Siblings in the project who behave well when with us, but having major obedience issues at home with parents that are not there because of trying to find work from very early to very late in the day.

These are just three of many such situations going on every day.  

There is a delta, or triangle, represented in what we try to do, three sides that ideally work together, being the parents/guardians, the children, and the Milk Project.  

As parents, children, or people trying to help others including parents and children...how can we best help?  That is our continual challenge.  And helping not just in a physical sense, not just in trying to help familial relationships, or any of the other many ways we try through education, sewing, medical, etc. but also helping others spiritually find The Way.  

There are plans, prayer, and ideas.  They are most definitely needed.  But they only work when lived out, and that means some great highs, and great lows.  Working with people is messy, not easy, and not always easy to measure success.  

Whether working with now over 100 children in two different locations, or just your own children, family, neighbors, or co-workers...it is a calling for all of us, to each other, to be there to help ya.   

Things aren't always what they seem, or even all what they are sometimes.  The title for today's post comes from a practice phrase I was given trying to learn another language.  Upon reading it, I was sure it meant something deeper.  Search as I might...I think it is just a practice phrase for learning.  But I like it nonetheless.  Sometimes things that seem small might be big, and vice versa.  I am speaking metaphorically, as usual, of course.  

Talk about culture shock.  People still ask how we are doing adjusting to the US.  (Thanks for asking by the way if you were one of those people!)  To be honest, I don't really think about it that often, we stay pretty busy and so I don't have a lot of down time to dwell on it, and I am also not quite sure how to answer the question.

But yesterday trying to get ready for school, Soren came upon a new (to him) type of milk jug, and when he tried to open it and came upon the pull tab instead of a screw lid...he lost it.  Temporarily of course, but it was just a brief insight into the fact that although well adjusted...sometimes that bee can jump up out of the water and make a big splash.​  At that point, nothing made sense here, everything was weird or different, and it just was a brief melt down about a milk jug.

Sometimes I am not sure how to respond I guess just because things ultimately are just different.  I can get used to things either way, but then...I am different as well.  Cecilia wishes we had a Ford truck here in the US.  Nonsense I say, in my US mindset, thinking that although they are popular, we certainly don't need one.  And then, in my Honduras mind, I recognize why she thinks they are awesome and how cool it is to have one.  There are many such things that are different, or different about myself being in one place or another.  That can be...hard sometimes.  



As you can see from the picture, Cecilia is still clearly identifying Honduran (that is the flag being painted on her face) but also very much adapting to living here, and likes especially that she can drive and have a job.  Independence that isn't possible in Honduras, at least not for a while.  

Negatives?  Sure, there are some, but that is life everywhere really, why dwell on them?  I will admit to noticing from time to time when I talk with the kids in Spanish in public, which we know probably seems a bit odd to some people but we enjoy, I can sometimes seemingly pick up a negative vibe from others, although no one has said anything straight to our face.  Doesn't seem to stop us though, imagine that. 

There will be some more adjusting to be sure, and hopefully reflection and growth.  That is the idea at any rate, and hopefully making more Kingdom connections for the mission while we are here.  

The picture below is something Cecilia made in Honduras, showing ties to family in Indiana.  And then she added a caption to it when we got to the US and she hung it up right near the main door to house.

Ultimately it speaks to me in a big way, and also buzzes in my ear.   

In September, while Dr. Darwin was in the US, we had occasion to tour the FAME (www.fameworld.org) warehouse again, looking at what they already have on hand that we could use in Honduras at the clinic for a year, or more, depending on whether supplies or equipment.  For us, it was a little like Christmas shopping when you were a kid.   

So, working with FAME, we are now looking to send a container full of supplies in the spring of 2019!  

This is where you come in!

Although FAME has access to so many resources that we need, what they don't have, and what we also need to put on the container is the following:

1. Medicines (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, non-gummy children's vitamins, adult vitamins, prenatal vitamins)
2.  Creams (anti fungal, anti itch, antibiotic)
3.  Soaps, sanitizing gels
4.  Hygiene items (travel sized shampoos, soaps, lotions)

You can help us fill this container!  FAME has limited to no access to these types of items that we use absolutely every day in the clinic, and to some extent especially for the hygiene items, in rural areas when we go with groups.  

From their warehouse, we will be able to fill quite a bit of the container's space, but there will still be plenty of room for sure for as many of these supplies as we can gather, especially since they can all be squeezed in and around other bigger items and such.  

***The key for medicines and creams is that the expiration date needs to be at least June 2019, but the later the better for us to stretch the use of everything as long as possible.***

We have several months to prepare  You can email, text, messenger, smoke signal or otherwise get in touch with us about how to get these items to FAME, or how we can pick them up for you and thank you in person, and then get them to FAME in time as well.  

You can also donate funds to the ministry if you like, and we will scour and find the best prices to buy these things in bulk and put as much of them on the container as possible!  You can do that here 

This type of container we have done before, and they have been huge for moving the clinic, and work overall, forward.  We are looking to be as strategic as possible with this container, to take advantage of FAME's huge offer of shipping this container, and getting as many things we need on it as possible.  We don't want to waste any space if possible.  

Please help us spread the word...everyone can help out on this, from one bottle of ibuprofen, to a case, to a pallet!

Also, if you know of good used or new equipment that you think the clinic or general mission could use, please let us know that as well.  And pray...for how all of this will come together and be used to glorify God!