Several weeks ago, Nicole and I signed up to go to a ladies retreat. It is a retreat for American missionaries. It is a well done, well planned, well organized retreat hosted by a group of ladies in Belpre, Ohio/Parkersburg, West Virginia area. It costs nothing for the missionaries. It started Thursday afternoon and end Monday morning. I kind of like sleeping in my own bed with my own blankie and drinking coffee out of my own mug. And I am not a huge fan of sleeping in a bunk bed in a room full of people I don't know. Haley really likes her mommy to put her to bed. Karen went for the whole time, but Nicole I decided to leave Friday afternoon and stay until right before supper on Saturday.
There was more than once this week I wished I had not signed up to go. Nicole said the same thing.
Yesterday I got the kids up, breakfast, chores and off to school. I returned at 8:05. I got the clothes on the line, washed the dished, ate my breakfast, and gave Matt and Nicole a few instructions. Among these instructions were: 1st grade gets out at 10:00, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade gets out at 11:00, and 2nd grade gets out at 12:20. I then left for the market. I had everything timed down to the second.
I was so totally relaxed at the market. I had no worries, no concerns, nothing on my mind. So much so that the clotheslines Matt and Nicole asked my to buy, I forgot. I don't mean I forgot to buy them. For some reason, there were not many cart boys at the market. I still hired a kid to carry the fruits and vegetables. He carried the big bags and I carried the smaller ones. I put the clotheslines down to pay for the Casa stuff. As I begin to gather the small bags, I never ever thought of the clotheslines again until I was very near Casa. Oh well, I guess I owe Matt and Nicole two clotheslines.
Matt and Nicole were running back and forth to the school, running to get gasoline for the weedeater, among other things. Matt got there at 11:00 and no one got out. He waited. And waited. And waited. He ended up waiting until 12:00 when everyone was dismissed. It seemed as if the school was just trying to further complicate an already complicated morning.
I knew Matt was waiting at the school and asked him to wait there on me.
I drove in and asked Dennis to unload the car for me and ran to the house and inhaled a sandwich. I walked into Casa to get the needed things for visitation in Sabana Grande. Dilcia reminded me to get toilet paper, which I did. I gathered the bags and headed out the door. Dilcia very calmly asked me if I wanted to take Doris with me. I was thinking I was getting everyone at the school and had forgotten that Doris was already home.
I got to school and six kids jumped out of the van and ran to the car. Wait, a minute, Cindy wasn't suppose to go with me. I was about 15 minutes behind schedule, but I was really ready for the next few hours to be over. I was more than ready for this retreat.
Meanwhile, the other kids are starting a new visitation routine and Nicole was a bit anxious about that.
Things went well with both visitations. I arrived home at 3:40. I began to throw my stuff together and I Nicole and I finally left at 4:10. I enjoyed the hour and a half drive with my daughter. I knew immediately it would be a good retreat.
And, I was not disappointed. I saw several friends from both Ohio and Honduras. I met a couple of new friends, too. We Texas girls almost always have an instant bond. Even though we were both on top bunks last night, Nicole and I had a good time visiting about things that were not Casa related.
The Women of Purpose team did a great job of hosting this retreat. There was laughing, crying, praying, eating, sharing, singing. The worship stations this afternoon were intense and caused some self-searching and reflection. A huge thank you to the entire Women of Purpose team, but special thank yous to Lisa Gould, Karen Burnfield, and Kathy Guise. You know what for.
I am really glad to be back in my own bed tonight, but I so needed that brief escape.
Terri
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