Martha Gets Stitches Out

Martha went to the doctor this past Wednesday and got the inner layer of her stitches out. How do they do that without opening her up again, you ask? Well, as it turns out, the stitches rise to the surface on their own and begin to poke through the skin. Ouch! She still needs to go in for a thorough checkup for hidden moles, and then will have to have checkups every two months for the next year.

The outreach by our kids in Tejarcillos was postponed a week by the rehab center we were partnering with, and Martha and I could not attend on the new date. Fran and Ileana, some adult volunteers, and the children pulled the whole thing off beautifully. The only thing Martha and I contributed was funding. This underscored Martha's and my belief that we have worked ourselves out of a job. If we should decide to restart the church it would require Martha and me to be more involved, but if we continue on as a parachurch ministry, we would feel totally comfortable turning the reigns of the ministry over to them completely, and just continue raising funds for them.

Next week we plan to build an additional bedroom onto Fran and Ileana's house, which also serves as a headquarters for the ministry there in the slums. They have recently taken in two family members to live with them. One is their granddaughter Alexa and the other is Fran's mother Norma who is in poor health and can no longer live alone. Norma is staying in a small bedroom with Alexa and two of Fran and Ileana's daughters. It has created a crowded, uncomfortable living situation for all involved, so First Presbyterian Church of DeLand, FL, and a men's interdenominational prayer group have provided the funds for us to build an extra room.

I taught a class on development and pastoral care of preschoolers at a local seminary two weeks ago. They were trying me out as a teacher in their program for folks who need training in ministry but lack a high school diploma. It went well as far as I could tell, but I haven't heard back from them. This is not unusual in this culture, even when someone is interested in hiring you. Folks just aren't in any hurry. It's also the normal way for Ticos to let you know they're not interested. So it could be either one at this point. I'll keep you posted...