forty-six

I've been back in El Salvador for almost two weeks and I'm realizing again how little time I have left.

Coming back wasn't as hard this time--no tears since leaving my parents at the airport--and it helped that I had tons of things to keep me busy upon my return. For one thing, my laundry had piled up before I left for the States, and of course the situation didn't improve in my absence. For another thing, a new guy, Rodney, had joined our ranks for a temporary stay. Having anybody new come is something exciting in itself, but Rodney is interesting in his own right. He's an old friend of Jennifer's, but he gets along with everybody, plus he plays the drums and a bit of guitar and loves to make up his own lyrics to songs, so Rodney, Ian and I have begun jamming together. Sometimes I play the bass, other times I make up harmony to whatever it is that Rodney's singing. It's really quite fun and I enjoy it.

The biggest thing that's happened recently is that for the past week I've been busy helping out with the Campamento (camp-out). The kids from the Hogar were split up into three age-groups and each age-group came for about two days. They slept in tents and had a campfire at night, and had group competitions during the day, including a water fight. I worked in the kitchen tent and learned the joys of cooking over an open fire. It was really quite exciting. Most of the student missionaries who helped out with the Campamento slept outside, and it was nice to be able to watch the sun rise most mornings. One morning in particular, Elisabeth woke me up to look at the beautiful sky. I looked, taking in the pink and purple clouds spread out above the mountains. Then, after Andrea and Elisabeth had put their heads down to go back to sleep, I continued to watch. To my surprise and delight, I saw the first flame of sun reach over the mountains. I caught my breath and woke the other girls so that they too might see the sight. I've tried to witness the sight every morning since then, but have been unable, either because I woke up too late, or else I woke up too early and left to go to the bathroom, only to come back and find that I took too long and the sun was already up. The Campamento ended on Friday, and just the student missionaries slep outside on Friday night. It was nice to continue the tradition. But on Saturday night, the group changed. A few more SMs came to join the group in sleeping outside, and a few of the veterans who had been there all week decided not to come back. After being around those certain people every day all week, I felt a hole inside of me when they were gone. I felt a sadness as though I would never see them again. As time has passed the sadness has dulled, but the knowledge is still there: this will not last forever. I can only pray that once we've left this place, God will keep us safe and cause our paths to cross once more.