You're Buying How Many?? - by Lisa

Over the past few weeks, I have made some rather unusual purchases, all of which I have been “over-the-top” excited about. I sometimes wonder about the cashier who is “lucky” enough to get me for a customer. I also wonder about the person who happens to be standing in line behind me. I imagine their thoughts about my cart. It has to be something that goes like this: My word, how many pairs of flip flops does that lady have? There have to be…one, two, three, four…… nineteen, twenty…. I bet she’s one of those hoarders that I see on the A&E network. Yesterday I bought VBS snacks for about 200 kids. That amounts to something like this: 7 huge bags of animal crackers, 7 large boxes of goldfish crackers, 3 large boxes of cheerios, and 200 packets of Austin’s cheese crackers. Oh, and 400 zippy bags. I could hardly wait to get the stuff home, and to practice packing it in some suitcases. There is some strategy for figuring out which things should go in the same bag and which should be separated. Animal crackers take up lots of space, but are light-weight. Not easy to pack. Cheese crackers: super heavy, but easy to pack. Today, we shopped at Ollie’s. We checked out with three 20X25 foot tarps to take to the community center in Santa Maria de Jesus. The folks there like to cover part of the entry-way area, which will serve as a waiting room for the medical clinic. The tarps serve as shelter from the pouring rain, and also the baking sun, which can both be expected on a daily basis. Last year, they attempted to rent tarps, which were already dilapidated before they even hung them. This year, we plan to surprise the village with three brand new tarps, free from tears and holes, and theirs to keep. But, while I was there, I bought the best thing ever: a Spanish Family Bible, which I intend to give to the family of the child we sponsor through the GIFTS program. I tried to share this excitement with the check-out lady, but she just gave me this blank stare. Anyway, I cannot wait to see their faces when we give it to them. In a place where hope and faith in God are essential for everyday life, giving them the Word of God seems like such an appropriate gift for their entire family. It is our hope and prayer that this gift will strengthen their faith for the difficult times that lay ahead.