same 'ol...

Hey everyone! I hope this finds everyone well and in good spirits!

I was writing my brother a letter today and decided it might be blog appropriate (nick, hopefully you will get the letter in a week or so).
I haven't been sending as many letters as I have in the past because it seems that life has somewhat normalized. When I do write, I often find myself saying “not too much going on around here. Pretty much same 'ol stuff.” It seems so strange that this life, once so foreign, has now become my norm.
It is normal to only check my email once a week. It is normal to have the lower half of my body covered in mosquito bites, while the upper half is drenched in sweat and heat rash. It is normal for the electricity and/or water to go out at any moment (and sometimes I even enjoy it). I am not phased when a gecko falls off the wall and hits the table. I anticipate having to pick ants out of the sugar, so I allow a few extra minutes when cooking. When I am late, I shrug and give thanks for the extra protein. When I hear “tappty-tap-tap” in my room, I calmly look for the broom and sweep the crab out from under my bed.
But I guess everything hasn't lost its magic. My heart still bursts with joy when Elsi sits in my lap during prayer or Jose Pastor shoots me his mischievous little grin. I still get goosebumps when I hear a baby's heartbeat in its mother's womb. I still cross my fingers that I will receive letters or email (a shameless request for you to write more, I know). I am still stopped in my tracks and stare in awe on moonless nights and I think I can see every star in the sky. I am still stopped in my tracks and stare in awe at when the moon is full and shining out every star. I still scream when I see a tarantula or scorpion or jellyfish or stingray (all non-poisonous). I still laugh out loud at every one of Sarah Floro's jokes. I am still brought to tears when mothers ask me to abort their unborn baby because they cannot feed the ones they already have. I still feel ashamed when I eat three meals a day, and many of our neighbors are lucky to get one. I still believe that God is somehow making sense of this mess that we call the world, and am so blessed to be a tiny part of it.
To you my friends, thank you for being apart of this messy and beautiful world and making it a little better every day with your presence.
paz,
Jenny