Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Little Ants

Ants have been invading our kitchen and bathroom for the last few weeks. We're pretty used to ants since they found their way inside year round in Fiji, but they seem to be seasonal here.

The problem with them is this: they look like the ants in Fiji, they act like the ants in Fiji, but the normal drone ants in Fiji don't BITE! Some of the ants here are typical black ants that can be swiped away with your hand harmlessly but others..........well, it's not a pleasant experience for your skin to come in contact with them! Stinging pain and welts for a couple of days to remind you of the experience. And drying yourself after a shower only to find that there were these sorts of ants on your towel? Not fun! (Ask me how I know!)

Now I have to be honest that the biting ants are a tiny bit different on close inspection. Their heads are just slightly red but they still look like black ants for the most part. My eyes are 'past 40' so I can't be absolutely sure, but the kids agree that they don't look like typical fire ants.

What teeny, tiny little things do we allow to creep into our lives that look harmless at first but then turn around and bite us? They're not always easy to see clearly in a world where things appear to be shades of gray.

Incidents of major moral failure, for example, don't happen overnight. They start with a second glance at something the eyes should avoid, unchecked thoughts, not following our brother Joseph's example and fleeing the scene of a temptation. Like little ants.....

What should we do with the little ants in our lives whatever they happen to be?
Get rid of it and don't get bit!!! It's not worth it.

Short Update

Our last team of the 'season' has gone and we're amazed at the significant progress that's been made on our building! Still a ways to go, though, and we're not getting our hopes up as to when we'll be able to move into our own flat. But it will come eventually! There's a one bedroom flat below ours, however, that will be ready to house a new couple who will arrive in a few weeks.

For the next few months we'll get the chance to focus more intently on our language study, something we're both really keen to do. Plus we'll have a bit of family holiday time while the kids are on school break.

We've been here six months now!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Safe.....

There is always talk of threatening groups targeting different areas in the country. Right now the rumored potential target is our city. We've been getting emails from embassies, etc, saying to be careful in places where foreigners frequent. We only occasionally go to those places anyway and when we do we keep our eyes open. Very seldom does something actually happen, but these groups enjoy the control that terror brings.

Yesterday I dropped the girls off at their friend's apartment next to a big shopping mall. (It always amazes me at how entirely possible and tempting it would be to live life here without really seeing how the majority of the city lives--but that's a different topic!)

Security was quite tight at the mall. There were guards visible on every floor with one even looking down and walking the perimeter of the glass roof. It was nice to see that they were taking the threats seriously and were doing their best to protect the shoppers.

It made me remember that the BEST security in our lives is that which is Unseen. How even when we feel totally alone in the face of a threat that there is a He*venly Host guided by an an omnipotent Father available to guard and protect us.

Just like it was nice to see extra guards at the mall doing their best for the masses, isn't it gracious that our unseen Guard gives us encouragement in dangerous times as well? I would like to always be satisfied with just the knowledge of the Invisible, but many times when I've needed it He's given me tangible comfort; a person to lean on, an email or call saying someone had been 'thinking' of me, or even just an unexplainable sense of peace.

Recently, I heard a woman tell how she was in a foreign land during a time of turmoil and waiting alone in a less than 'secure' airport. A dog ran up, sat down beside her and stayed! She eventually had to leave her 'guard' to go through Customs, but the creature found her on the other side and sat with her until she boarded the plane. She is convinced that that tangible presence was sent by the He*venly one to remind her that she was never out of His care.

Isn't it good to know that we are ALWAYS in His hands?