Christmas Eve/ Day

I was so excited to have 2 days just to do nothing. I was even thinking about going to the beach for 2 days. We had been working for over a month 12 to 16 hour day doing stuff for Christmas, and I was so excited for just a time to be alone and do whatever I wanted. And then the phone rang....... This phone call kind of reminds me of the movie skipping Christmas if any of you have ever seen it. It was a lady from Huaral her mom had been transferred to a hospital in Lima. She had called the night before, but I had told her that I lived far away from Lima. Then I had call after call early in the morning Christmas Eve. Nicchola came to work at 10 like normal, and I was so confused. He wasn't supposed to work that day. Well another culture thing, Peruvians work on Christmas Eve and apparently I had not made it clear that he had the day off. I called back all my missed calls, and it was the sister of the lady that had called me the day before. She said she was worried about here sister, her sister's phone charger had died, she couldn't get in touch with her, she had no warm clothes, and I think she said she didn't have any money to buy food while she was with her dying mom in the hospital. Several days before, we went to the hospital in Huaral to witness to this lady that was dying of cancer. We had to beg the nurses to let us break the rules and go into traumatic shock room to talk with her for a few minutes about the gospel.

So anyway, back to Christmas Eve, let me just admit this missionary had a bad attitude about having to decide to go help someone or not. I know it just seems obvious, it was Christmas Eve of course I should go help someone in distress in the hospital, that is obviously what Jesus would have done. I was just so tired and I was being so selfish. I decided to call my mom. I thought she would tell me, Lauren you have worked so hard, and you have already shared the gospel with this lady, it will be okay, just stay at home and rest. BUT of course, she told me decide to do whatever you can live with. She told me that it wouldn't be as bad as I was making it out to be if I just went and did the right thing and that she would be praying for me. Okay, so after that convicting phone call, it was clear that I should go. Plus, Nicchola had the right attitude and said that he would take me and that we should go and help her. I, of course, still had a bad attitude complaining the whole way there, saying is there never a minute I can just have to myself and not have to help someone. I know, terrible missionary, please don't judge me.

So we got there, in perfect timing, God's timing, right in time for visiting hours. Then I was humbled by my horrible attitude. This hospital was huge long hall rooms with about 100 beds in each room of people horribly sick. A room full of men, then full of women, and it was just a huge hospital full of sick people on Christmas Eve. The room we went to was just terribly sad. When we first walk in, a lady that weighs about 80 pounds was sitting up in her bed and gave me the sweetest smile and waved at me. We got to the person that we were going to visit. Granted their were not even curtains separating the beds. Just bed after bed of people in all kinds of conditions. We got to the lady and started talking with her, then she just started writhing around in pain and didn't want to listen to anything. Then she needed to throw up and the nurse literally took like 5 minutes to bring her a tray to throw up in. So her daughter had to take everything out of her bag for her to throw up in. The nurses in this hospital literally do not care at all if someone is dying, if their medicine is out etc. It is just a job to make some money for them, and that is all.

Since she was so sick, I decided for just a little while to go visit other people in their hospital beds. I first went to the lady that had smiled at me when I walked in. It turns out she is the sweetest lady originally from Russia. She has been in and out of the hospital for 7 years. She is so skinny and frail you can smell the medicine in her body through her skin. She was such a delight and blessing to talk to. We were able to share with her the gospel and give her a Bible. Then I was able to talk to another young girl who just was admitted to the hospital a week before, but she said she is going to be in the hospital for months. I don't know what she had, but it was so sad. We were able to share with her the gospel and give her a Bible also. Then I went to share with one more young girl, I didn't have any more Bibles with me, but I shared the gospel with her and gave her some bracelets I had on just for fun for a little Christmas gift and the lady beside her was a believer and gave me a New Testament to give to her!

Then we went back to the original person we came to visit. I shared the gospel with her in Spanish and then her daughter translated into Quechua the native language. It turns out that since her mom is so sick, it is hard for her to understand Spanish which is her second language, so when we shared with her a few days before she probably didn't understand. God is so good that he gave us a second opportunity to share the good news of salvation with her. Of course, I don't know if she decided to accept Jesus or not because she was not talking but she was conscious. That afternoon we went and got some food, clothes, and a blanket for her daughter who was staying with her. Since they are from a mountain town, she was "lost" in Lima in such a big city. The mom died two days later, but this visit to the hospital really strengthened our relationship with this family, and we hope someday soon all the other family members will come to know Jesus as their Savior.

The Lord just so humbled me. First of all, he gave me another opportunity to share with this lady in her native language the gospel. I would have been so upset if I had found out after she died that she did not understand Spanish, and we had not gone and shared with her again. Also God was just showing me that my life was so GOOD. I could have been one of those people writhing in pain in a room full of 100 hospital beds with nurses that don't to take care of me, but instead I get to be a missionary and be someone who on holidays gets to bring the hope of Jesus to these people. I am so blessed! It was such a humbling experience and one that my selfish self needed that day. I told those people that  I would come back and visit them, and I am planning on doing that soon. Thank you Jesus for using me even when I have such a terrible attitude, but still give me a second chance to do your kingdom work.

Then Christmas Eve night, I had the opportunity to take two of my extremely poor neighbors out to eat, then one of them went with me to the orphanage to celebrate Christmas Eve with them. We met Fernando there as well. They were having a dance party. It was fun to see the kids having fun. Then we watched a ton of fireworks go off at midnight. The orphanage had a ton of huge fireworks they were setting off! (another Latin american tradition). Then on Christmas day, I worked on cleaning and organizing my house all day. Definitely a different Christmas experience then the ones I was used to in the states, but a good one! Plus Christmas isn't about the kind of experience you and I have, but ALL about the Savior being born into this world for filthy sinners.  All glory to God!

My Christmas tree!