Reality Check

This past week and a half, I have been worried and troubled about the things I've been going through. Money issues. A shower that doesn't give me hot water. Lice in my hair. Having to be careful about the way I wash vegetables. You know, third world problems with a first world heart.

Yesterday and today we have done house visits to the students and their parents to assess their physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. It brought to light a lot of things when I compared their problems to mine.

1. Money Issues: My issue was I couldn't access the money I have been so incredibly blessed with. Their money issues are simply that most of the time, they just don't have any. Rhonda just received two sweet children, one is three and the girl is an infant. The mother had to give them up because they didn't have enough money to feed them.

2. A Shower: Yes, I'm that girl who drains the hot water heater.  The shower in my room hasn't worked when it comes to heating the water so I've been taking a shower in the outside room. I found out today that most of the kids don't have showers, or baths, but bathe outside next to the pila.

3. Lice: I was okay for about the first hour after discovering I had lice.  However, once that hour was up, I kind of freaked. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what I could touch, what I couldn't. I wanted to be kept in a plastic bubble so they wouldn't spread anywhere.  To me, lice is a big thing. To the children here in Honduras, lice is a normality.

4. Food: I have to worry about how I wash the vegetables and complain about the stove we have in the house. The people in Honduras oftentimes don't know where they'll get food.

There are so many stories we came into contact with today. Children who have to run their houses (at fifth grade) because their parents are constantly working to make a living. Children who live on their own because their parents have moved to other cities to make money. One of the houses we visited asked us to pray for the grandmother (who was 90 something- I'm still learning numbers) because she had an infection in her leg.

I'm learning that cliches are often true. All of their problems make mine look down-right stupid.

I'm learning. I'm learning that no matter how bad I have it, someone has it worse. When I complain that the fridge is empty, or that there's no hot water, or that I feel a little "gross" in hygiene...there's always someone who has it worse and is still thankful. And if you are that person that no one has it worse than, just remember that Jesus sacrificed His life when He didn't have to.