May 2010
These are parts of priceless conversations I’ve had with the women of Suti Sana since we started last month:
“I can’t forgive him. Does God WANT me to forgive him when every night he keeps doing bad things to my kids and me?”
“Am I understanding this prayer things right? I can talk to God anytime, anywhere?”
“If God is everywhere, and He is with kids, why does he let people abuse them? Why doesn’t He stop it?”
Every morning, I bike to work, gather up my notes and thoughts, and wonder what these five eager, curious, confused, skeptical women are going to throw on the table today. Today, though, we had a surprise for them. Today was the one-month mark of Suti Sana. We had a little party.
Instead of group therapy, we decorated the classroom with balloons and banners. We had cookies and jello (jello is a staple of Bolivian parties). When the girls came in, we yelled, “Surprise!” and showered them with hugs and proud speeches.
Our gift to the women for completing one month was a CD of the worship songs we’ve been singing in devotions to start each day. After we gave each one their CD, we slipped it into the player and started listening to it. The first song they learned came on, and we all started singing.
Bueno es alabarte Señor, tu nombre…
(How good it is to praise your name Lord)
And then we got to the chorus…
Porque grande eres tú,
Grandes son tus obras…
(For you are great,
And your works are mighty)
and I felt someone leaning on me. When I turned, my friend D was crying on my shoulder. One by one each of the women started weeping, and in seconds we were all crying. Looking at each other, trying to comprehend what was happening here. Then laughing. Then singing again.
Those kingdom moments. What in this life could ever beat that?
Love,
Cara