Diarrhea

Another night…..another big problem.  It effects 1 billion people a year.  4 million die a year.  The problem tonight is not the disease.  It is just the topic of the health seminar.  The problem is the rain.  I am sitting under a makeshift church.  Often they are made out of slices of bamboo, tarps and woven coconut fawns.  But tonight we are under the luxurious “tent” with poles and a tight tarp.  The problem is the tent is leaking.  So as we wait for people to come to hear the presentation……..the seats are all being dried with rags.  Chairs are being shifted to avoid the leaking drops.  The crowd will be low tonight, because who wants to walk or ride a motor cycle in the rain?  I didn’t even want to come in the luxery of my car.  Yet here I sit…..ready to be a missionary again and talk about how to prevent and treat diarrhea.  A disease that affects every person on this planet, but especially the malnourished and already weakened children.

After 45 minutes have ticked by and we have not yet started, I lean over and tell the pastor, “It is ok with me, if we start….I will not be offended if only a few are here.”  That was all he needed to hear.  We began and then the people pored in.  I don’t know where they were all tucked away at, but it was if they were just waiting to hear the microphone light up. : )  I stay on for the special music and the sermon.  It was preached by our yard man, Lukas.  He is studying at the local seminary and always is filled with joy.  Singing or whistling as he works.  He preached well.  A scrawny dog slinks in, during the sermon.  Not much bigger then a cat….with every rib showing.  The grass is all muddy from the rain.  I can’t help but notice our shoes, of us who presented….Mud caked.

Yet another night….this is now my 5th and last presentation.  The rain has continued making everything extra wet and mucky.  Now boards have been laid down in the grass so that the choirs and the speakers don’t have to get so dirty.  I was 15 minutes late, but no worries, because it was still 30 more minutes until they were ready to start.  I really function very well on Indonesian time, as I am always pushing the clock.  Being that this is a different location from last week…..we talk about hand washing again.  I am so brainwashed (excuse me, I mean “convinced”) that this is the single most important way that we can prevent infection that I thought it bared repeating to this new group.  With lots of role playing and enlarged germs I think the point was made clear.  Hand washing is very challenging in Indonesia for many of the public bathrooms have only a bucket and a dipper with no soap.  The people filled up all the seats, despite the rain.  It was fun, but I am glad to be able to stay home for a while and not have to worry about speaking.

Darron has been home all of October.  Tomorrow he flies again and will come and go most of the month.  Some great donations have come in this week for Radio ministry and also the airstrip project up in the mountains.  This is a real encouragement to Darron.

We are all healthy, currently!  No diarrhea.  So grateful for the health that we have had.  Thanks as always for praying and all your encouraging words and support.  It means so much.