Hola Amigos,

I want to share with you an experience that I had last month.  We sometimes have medical mission groups come stay with us and go each day to conduct a clinic in the mountain villages.  One of my responsibilities is to help make arraignments for these clinics.  Last month I went with a representative from the Ministry of Health, (the Nicaraguan equivalent of the Health Department), to visit the people who live in the areas around the villages where the clinics were to be held.  We went to inform people about the clinics and to make sure that those in the area who were sick were able to get to the clinics.

The poverty of the people living in the mountains of Nicaragua is extreme.  I went into houses that we in the US would not even use as sheds.  The boards that made up the outer walls of one of the houses had spaces between them that were half an inch to an inch wide.  They let in the rain, the wind, the dust and the mosquitoes that carry many of the diseases that the people suffer from.  Yet, in these houses I found such love and generosity.

One lady who I was visiting with offered me a cup of coffee.  Those of you who know me know that I don’t drink much coffee.  When I do, I like a little coffee with my cream and sugar.  The cup of coffee that she brought me was black except for a spoonful of sugar, but I was determined to drink because I did not want to offend her.  God’s little joke on me was that it was the most delicious cup of coffee I have ever had.  I told the lady how much I liked it and she smiled proudly.  “Thank you,” she said.  “I grew it from seed.” How humbling.  This lady had planted her seeds, waited years for them to grow into bushes that produced, harvested them, dried them, roasted them, ground them, and then made the coffee that she served me.  I felt so honored that she shared with me the fruit of her labor.

Her patience and the hard work that she puts into just surviving under such harsh circumstances is a lesson to me.  I pray that God gives me patience like this woman had to plant a seed in the lives of these children and watch it grow year after year.  May I care for what grows from those seeds as faithfully as she cared for her plants.  I pray God gives me the strength to work as tirelessly as she does to care for those who are my responsibilities.

I am back in the US until January 2nd and I hope I will have a chance to see many of you and to thank you personally for your prayers and support.  Until then I pray God will keep you and bless you.

In Christ,

Joy Pulsifer

Joy Pulsifer
 
 

P.S.  I will be home for the holidays November 18-January 2.  Please call me at 228 255-9251 if
        you would like to meet with me, or have me share with your fellowship.

NOTE:  If you want to give to the Children’s Ministry, PLEASE MAKE THE CHECK TO BASIC, and put Children’s Ministry on the FOR line.

NOTE EMAIL ADDRESS:  The best Email address for me is joyepulsifer@aim.com
 

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