Imprints...

I am really never lost for words. Those that understand that, are like me. Our minds are constantly full of words, thoughts and ideas. I should be a pro at this blog but in reality it is the learning my way around that slows me down. Technology has left me behind a long time ago. We are home in Michigan taking a time off Missions to visit with our children and grandchildren. Such joy to see them in person and receive those hugs and kisses that melt our hearts! We are bonding with our youngest ones as they are too little to remember us regularly. It is very important that they know who we are, so they can understand themselves better when they grow up..(joke) After this cold spell in May here in Michigan I've decided to scratch that month of May out of our visiting schedule. At that pace we are limiting ourselves to a couple of possible months a year...(funny, isn't it).
Many friends have contacted me in hopes to have a visit and a chat in person. How much I love walking downtown, go to the grocery store, to a restaurant or to a gas station and have people say how are you and how is it going in Guatemala! Only in a small town USA you experience such warm and homey love. I must admit, I miss Guatemala and cannot wait to head up those Highlands in June. My puppies await me, Vicenta and her family, the warm people at the clinica and my fellow missionaries. This week the news gave some disturbing information about a "massacre" in Peten, 10-12 hours away. How disturbing to know that the Mexican Drug Cartel continues to want to take over Guatemala so they can freely traffic their drugs to the USA. The government has ssized the area but they were not able to stop the brutal murder of dozens of innocent farmers. First the Civil War and now more Drug Wars...Lord, when will it end? When will these people have real peace and left to survive day by day? So what can I do? I pray. I shared with others so they can pray. I do my part while I am there and when I am here. I love my neighbor like myself (well, not always succesful but I should try). I teach these concepts to those around me. So see, even when we are at this "home" we long for the other. That is as an "imprint" that makes us want to be there and partake on their sadness and suffering. It is like watching Canadian Geese with newly hatched gooselings that know exactly who they belong to. We are gathering several things to take back. Erv is bringing more tools. I am bringing things the traditional birth attendants (rural midwives) need to be equipped. I have a group of 50 plus eager ladies wanting to learn how to save lives and keep them healthy. My guess is that there will be 100 before the year ends. In the meanwhile, we will go and hug grandbabies, squeeze them a lot and try to "imprint" their smell and little faces in our hearts and minds for the months to come...