Cactus Flower

After long days of getting into the new "groove" of ESL classes in the big city and the new norm of church planting work with no camp here in town, it was good to put it all aside and take an official "day off" recently.  Colleagues from across the lake had called to ask about seeing a local spot with some "cave drawings."  The spot is way off the main track and the drawings aren't that great (some might not even be "prehistoric"), but it sounded like a good picnic day event and a grand way to spend a national holiday. Spending quality down-time with missionary colleagues is a good way to care for our hearts... We can talk about anything and everything in our mother tongue without fear. (My colleague and I were rattling on in English while the local "cave drawing guide" who stood a little bit off but just close enough, kept interrupting as if he understood it all with random comments that made some sense.  I th...

Chapter 1: Once upon a time a dear, elderly missionary lady sent a box of kitchen things my way.  Included in the box was a square, divided cast iron skillet.  It was a little rusty, but I oiled it up and set it aside.  At that time a family from our work in Fortaleza was living on the island.  The wife had not brought all of her dishes, pots and pans along in their move.  She asked if perhaps I had a couple of old pans or pots that she could use.  Since she was going to be using a typical Brazilian style wood cook stove, I thought the heavy, iron pan might be a good thing to let her have.  So, being the good, little, helpful missionary woman that I am, I gladly gave up the cute, little square griddle and sent it on its way to the island along with a super-nifty round skillet that was just right for making tapioca pancakes.  It was heavy, but not iron.  Chapter 2: Once upon a time, I sat on the back porch of the caretaker's house on the...