from Me to Thee, 3

Good morning “Class” (Dear Not-So-Small-Small-Group)! It’s time for everybody’s favorite thing in life: a POP QUIZ! As mentioned in the last update, I’m having the fun challenge of typing notes on an American English keyboard but with Latin American formatting (ie: what’s physically on the keyboard isn’t always what comes out – probably as with many mission stations, a very kind American donation not totally fitting the context). Best guesses only (no looking it up online)! If your computers were suddenly flipped to Latin American formatting, where on your keyboards would you find the following punctuation? ?

without shift or with shift, or

without shift or with shift )

without shift or with shift, or

without shift or with shift ¡

without shift or with shift, or

without shift or with shift /

without shift or with shift, or

without shift or with shift $

without shift or with shift, or

without shift or with shift (Answers found at end.) THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUED ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRAYER! I’m feeling essentially 100% better, so aside from minor punctuation arguments with my keyboard at the clinic and a few itchy bites from critters that don’t mind the insect repellent spray I apply every day, I’m doing great. Thursday I gave those health talks to the Shalom home parents, where we talked about general topics like dental hygiene, healthy eating, and adequate sleep, along with being connected with our Heavenly Father who made us and knows how life works best. In hindsight, I felt I could have shared a little personal expression of thankfulness with the school parents for being here and the opportunity to serve. I believe the principal and school chaplain would have no problem with my sharing my testimony, especially as El Salvador from a population perspective (similar to the US 20 years ago) predominantly self-identifies as Christian (40% Catholic, 35% Evangelical, 20% non-religious). As a pastor’s kid (& pastor’s grandkid) who grew up in church, it would highlight the need for individual decisionmaking for Christ. I have another talk this Thursday at the school, so I’ll try to incorporate it there. Friday I saw patients at the clinic as usual and delivered the donated medical equipment, and Saturday the Home brought me to see historical town Suchitoto near the large man-made Lake Suchitlán created in 1973 for the generation of hydroelectric power – beautiful sights! Today, we went again to the 8AM service of the relatively large church where I felt I could understand more than last week (my listening skills are the most in need of improvement in Spanish), as they were celebrating Missionary Sunday, and a Salvadoran missionary to Romania preached from 1 Timothy 6. In between these activities, of course, was time spent with the kids, several of whom have felt comfortable enough to ask me to play with them (“Mika” is tag in El Salvador, holding the connotation “You’re it!”). Would you kindly pray for the following? 1. Continued health and safety 2. Effective medical care (that I’d diagnose problems correctly and offer the right therapy with the resources available) 3. Readiness of mind to learn 4. Readiness of heart to serve MUCHAS MUCHAS MUCHAS MUCHAS GRACIAS! El Dr. Wu ANSWER KEY: You would find… ? on the -/_ key with the shift, of course! ) on the 9/( key with the shift. Just close the parenthesis with the key that claims to open it! ¡ on the =/+ key without the shift, a tricky one! Rather than being a lower case “I”, this is the upside down exclamation point is unique to Spanish and is used at the beginning of exclamatory sentences…very useful signal for those reading aloud! / on the 7/& key with the shift. Totally intuitive! $ on the 4/$ key with the shift, exactly where we’d expect it! Had to throw in a curve ball in there! (tee-hee) Anyone get them all right?

From Wu to You, 2

Fellow Not-So-Small-Small-Group Members: Many, many thanks for all your prayers, encouraging words, and support! Monday I went to the clinic just down the street from the Children´s Home and met the staff there and got oriented to the building and the process of seeing patients. I learned that I´m solely playing the pediatrician here (I´m both an internist and a pediatrician) since there are enough practitioners who see adults already, which is totally fine with me since back home I don´t get to use my pediatric skills as much as I´d like). Well child checks are performed here more often than in the US because of the prevalence of malnutrition, and of course there are different infectious concerns as I had to look up treatment for Dengue fever and worm infestation. Labwork and imaging are available with nearby auxiliary services, but hardly used due to expense, so one has to rely more on clinical skill (& prayer!) After work I went back to the apartment to take a nap, enjoyed dinner with the kids, then started to feel tired with a headache and a tickle in my throat that turned into a fever overnight. I was grateful that Tuesday was a holiday (El Salvador’s Independence Day) so I didn´t miss any clinic time as I stayed in my apartment the entire day trying to rest and burn off the fever. After one last pang of fever and sweats around 2am, this morning I felt much, much better, so I ventured out with my mask and hand sanitizer. Today´s patient load was a bit lighter for some reason, so I take that as a grace from our Heavenly Father. To give you background on where I´m staying/working, Harvesting in Spanish (HIS) was founded in 1977 by American missionaries as a Christian literature ministry. HIS established the Shalom Children´s Home in 1984 for orphans of the brutal civil war (1980-1992), as well as for children with special medical/developmental needs, or those with complicated family situations (either affected by severe gang violence or the subsequent mass-lockup of gang members). The Amilat Christian School started in 1994 to educate the children at Shalom, but soon they opened their doors to the community where many parents wanted to give their children a Christian education. The Shalom Family Medical Center opened in 2015 to provide new opportunities for service and ministry in Jesus’ name in the community. What is so beautiful is that each of the workers I’ve gotten to know are very Gospel-minded folks who were captivated by God´s work here. For the remainder of my 2 weeks here, would you kindly pray for… 1. Brain plasticity (I´m learning to type my medical notes in Spanish… on keyboards that have totally different placement of punctuation keys!) 2. Complete recovery from this illness (I feel 95% better) 3. Effectiveness in ministry, both in the clinic as well as simply caring for the kids. Also, I´m giving a talk based on a Powerpoint put together by the local pediatrician for the dormitory "parents" as well as the schoolkids' parents about health that will include maintaining relationship with our Heavenly Father. 4. Softness of heart, that all of this would be done out of thankfulness to the One who rescued us. Many, many, many thanks again! Sidney PS: Kevin & Tricia: how are the grandbabies?

Wu's News: Unexpected Realizations

Hi Fellow Not-So-Small-Small-Group Members: It's been less than 24hours since arrival in El Salvador at the Shalom Children's Home where I'm staying on the same campus shared with a Christian school and medical clinic, & I've already learned two very profound spiritual truths: 1. it really hurts to have a soccer ball kicked into my shins! 2. I really like standing in the shade when it's hot! I landed in San Salvador last night almost 9pm and was grateful to get through the customs without any significant hitch given my luggage half full of medical supplies kindly donated by my workplace (World Medical Mission clearly has been doing this awhile and sent me a notarized letter explaining my need to carry medical supplies without my even asking for one). The director picked me up and drove me 25 minutes to the home where the guard handed me the keys to a very comfortable little furnished apartment. This morning started at 6:30AM for breakfast, & I met a recently retired rheumatologist on 6week assignment (his second time here, with previous experience in Kenya). Today being Sunday we joined the children and home staff in some packed vans to worship at an Evangelical church in the capital for the 8AM service (believe it or not it was the SECOND service; the first started at 6!). The pastor spoke from Romans and we sang some new & familiar tunes in Spanish of course... lots of tongue- & mind-stretching to do! We came back to campus to rest & have lunch, & I was able to meet with some boys Ernesto (13y/o wants to join the army, has been at the home "since I was little"), Ever, Victor, Fernando, & Roman. We had a lot of fun getting to know each other, these last 4 & I, especially as I was playfully trying to get them to finish their fruit for lunch (local small bananas -- yummy!) & trying to remember their names ("Victor el Comeplatano" = Victor the banana-eater). Their laughs and smiles were infectious! After lunch I walked around checking out the campus when the four boys (ranging in age from 5-8) ran out of their dormitories holding toys they wanted to show me (Transformers, Batman, & Spiderman) and puzzles they wanted to play with me, which we did right there on the sidewalk until one of them suggested going to the tables where we continued to play. Victor brought out a soccer ball and we started to play a 1-on-1/1-on-2/2-on-2 (depending on who wanted to join Victor & me at the moment) soccer game for the next hour or so on the concrete basketball/soccer court. That's when I rediscovered that it hurt to get the ball kicked into my shins! Don't worry -- I'll be fine, but it was a surprise I'll happily endure getting exercise and blessing these boys. The other discovery is that it's hot & sweaty in a tropical country during rainy season. Of course I knew that in my mind coming here, but the body took a bit to get used to it especially since I don't work out as often as I should. Whenever I got a teammate I found myself hanging back as goalie (in the shade). Hopefully that'll make me last longer out here physically while I do hope to venture out spiritually and physically to serve. Super grateful to be here and have your prayer support. Tomorrow I start the clinic work, which should be a Monday to Friday assignment with the spare time reading and spending time with the kids. Please do pray for health & safety for me as well as JJ & Evangelina, as well as a soft heart willing to be used however the Lord leads, & a flexible mind/tongue (I've learned new Salvadorean ways of saying things; for instance they call Sunday school/club "culto" which obviously connotes something very different in my mind!). My prayer is that the patients and the children here would sense more of their preciousness to God & His lovingkindness toward them by His work through me. Bendiciones (Blessings), Sidney (I go by Esteban/Stephen here since my middle name is easier to say/remember in Spanish) PS: praying for your family Mark PPS: I'm prohibited from sending photos of the children over the internet (some come from families with legal complications), but I can show you in person when I get back. Here’s a photo of that basketball/soccer court with cool goals formed as part of the basketball hoop posts

Blessed

As I was leaving his dorm after dropping him off, my son hugged me and told me, “Thanks for giving me a ride Dad. I love you.” I knew he meant it. As I drove home, I talked to my dad on the phone, and heard him say, “I love you too.” I knew he meant it. I am truly blessed.

Say what??!!

 The mind is a deep, deep labyrinth.  I was talking to Dad earlier today and he asked me in very clear words (but without clear context as I believe he was confused about where he was, possibly Taiwan?) about someone's "index of acculturation."  I looked it up and apparently there's a sociologic scale developed in Vancouver that measures immigrants alignment with American culture and values.  I don't ever remember hearing Dad mention those words in my life! 

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer" (Romans 12:12 ESV)

One of the most difficult truths about life is the mysterious way God often will use something He hates in this broken world to accomplish something good and lovely.  Almost everything about Dad's dementia (apparently Lewy Body Dementia, along with its wretched hallucinations) is despicable and cruel, especially in the irony that Dad had spent his career caring for "crazy people" unlinked to reality, and now his mind's ruined connections bring him to think there are kids in the room or that someone's going to imminently harm him.  Other parts of his dementia are the more run-of-the-mill forgetfulness or disorientation such as when we were on the phone the other night, and he asked me to pray for him (we often close our conversations with prayer).  I did of course, giving thanks for our time to talk and asking for healing and peace.  Not long after I prayed, Dad asked for prayer again, and we went together to our heavenly Father asking His grace again.  Once more, not long afterward, Dad asked yet again, & I chuckled as I led us again to God's throne-room to thank Him for His favor in Christ.

My prayer life is not what I want it to be; it's less frequent and less deep than I hope for.  I often fail to grasp my need for God's transformation and often fail to trust His power and willingness to intervene in this world.  But all of that is silly when I remember what He did for me at the cross.

Thanks God, for letting me come before You three times with Dad that day.  I'm grateful that one day on the Other Side, Dad and I will be able to laugh (and cry?) about it with You together. 

Taiwanese proverb

Dad, do you know the origin of this proverb? It sounds very Biblical…might it have been a pastor or missionary?

Tu-tio chhi-lian na kian-ko*
chhin-chhiu(n) ng-kim lo hoe-lo*


"Facing trials makes one stronger
As gold [becomes more pure] when put into the crucible"