truth # 18: I am older now

CS Lewis' book Perelandra includes a very interesting character, the green lady. When she would learn something or gain more knowledge in an area she would say something like "I believe I am older now." This is exactly how I feel. It is not everyday that I grow older, but the last four months it feels like I have turned from a baby to an old woman. What is it about knowledge that makes us older? It isn't that the knowledge didn't exist before I knew it, only my awareness had changed. In some ways it is nice to be oblivious to some knowledge but to knowingly avoid these things would be to live in denial. Some might claim that we are all self deceived and are probably thus living in denial. I am not sure that I would agree. I think if I were to turn from what I have learned and gained, that would be deceiving myself. Not all knowledge is nice.



Ah what a nice uncomplicated start. This has only taken me five hours to come up with. I am not sure how to describe my last four months only that now I am older and it was not an painless process. Today has been very nice for me. It has been almost a debriefing of the past few months, a time of allowing myself time to think. I am not ready yet to put it all into words.



I have had many many changes during this time. In May we had a lovely couple visit for two weeks considering joining our field. And with everything in the Lord's hands we are expecting them to join us around January. Then the first of June three Germans arrived to work with us for the following two months. Philipp, Becky and Jonny were a wonderful addition to our team and we already miss them. Yashira and Johanna came in the first of July each staying a month more or less. Yashira taught english in our mission school that OM Andean Region puts on every year (I will write more about that soon). She also was an incredible help in my new apartment that had at times 8 people living in it. Johanna worked with the Germans in our ministry projects and was a great encouragement to all those who worked with her. And then my old roommate, Vibeke from Norway, came back to Ecaudor for a month to visit her fiance but she stayed with me during that time. It has been a busy but very interesting time.