Music, Storms, and 1/2 Cup of Oil

MUSIC:
I´m embarassed to admit that I watched a few Brittney Spears music videos with my younger sisters. They were excited to share them with me because they are English, and therefore I must like them. I sang along as best I could (to humor them, of course). When they finally tired of ''you drive me crazy'', we listened to some of their favorite tunes in Spanish. I was enjoying the music until they said they wanted to dance with me. I narrowly escaped the ''opportunity'' to make a fool out of myself because Silvia realized the movie ¨Matilda¨was on TV, and so we all quickly found our seats. I breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed the dubbed version of Matilda.

My two younger sisters bring my such joy; they like it when I sing the ABC´s and often have me recite it. At Bible Study (the pastor my church here leads a Bible study for my B-family every Saturday evening and likes to practice his English with me) I was asked to sing a solo of ''Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord'' because they all know the song in Spanish. Little did I know at the time, but Felix recorded it on his dad´s cell phone... I was greeted at breakfast with the sound of my voice singing as Felix proudly replayed the song.

STORMS:
Thunder, lightening, and incredible hail. I watched the streets turn into rivers, and the sidewalks into layers of hailstones. I stood from the 3rd story window from La Casa de Esperanza as I took a break from some photoshop work on the computer. I was editing photos to use in an upcoming presentation to various churches and Bolivian organizations. La Casa is now an official organization in Bolivia, which is very exciting! The pictures had to be edited because they were pictures of prostitutes and their children. These women and children could very well be neighbors of the vistors attending the presentation, so it was up to me to protect their identity by drawing thick black lines across their eyes. I felt awful. These women are beautiful, and I had to hide their pretty faces and story-filled eyes.

I am so ready to be fluent. I want to approach these women at their tables as they eat lunch and learn their stories. I´m hesitant because it´s difficult for me to communicate. I want to hug them, cry with them, and encourage them. For now, my smile and small offerings to serve them their food have to suffice.

1/2 CUP of OIL:
I´m hearing all sorts of old wives tales from the people here. You should drink 1/2 cup of oil daily during your last week of pregnancy, to help the baby slip right out. When you are pregnant, you should also wear wool underwear to keep the baby warm. If you are sick, it´s because you´re either not eating enough, or you´re eating too much when it´s cold outside. The cold hurts your feet. This weird, strong, green herb I often eat at dinner is good for my stomach. My B-mom told me today at lunch that cactus fruit is good for my back.

Needless to say, I´m learning a lot.