I’m out of order. Chronologically I mean, not in the courtroom sense, but I’m over trying to catch up with all of the things I keep forgetting to tell y’all. I will eventually, but until then, I’m just going to pick up with my current affairs and hopefully relay to you some of my recent experiences that have both encouraged and challenged me.
First, let’s start with the challenges. Oftentimes we ask for the bad news first, and then the good news, and I like to end on a positive note, so we’re going to go with that theme. Not that anything has been too tragic or devastatingly catastrophic, but in the stubborn mind of Katherine Elizabeth Bennett, visiting the doctor is just that sort of thing, and I was forced to go just the other day. Now I know, I know, my dad is a doctor, so I should be totally comfortable with them, open to their wonderful ideas and solutions to fix any ailment that could come upon me; however, I am exactly the opposite. I hate going to the doctor. I don’t really like to use the word hate unless I really mean it, and in this instance I feel it’s appropriate. I really don’t know what it is; I haven’t had any real traumatic experiences with doctors that I remember, other than their constant desire to stab me with sharp needles while I run around the room like a chicken with its head cut off. It’s a serious character flaw; I know my body is a temple, and I should want to take care of it to the best of my ability, but in my mind, unless something becomes detached or uncontrollably oozes, you will not find me at the doctor. The only other exception to that is if I’m forced to go, which is the category that this little tirade falls under.
The other day, my left eye suddenly began turning really red and itchy and watery. As a firm believer in the healing powers of the human body, I concluded that if I just left it alone, it would be better the next morning. I probably just had something in my contact, no worries. Well, when I manually had to pry my eye open in the morning because it was super disgusting, I got a sense that maybe something was up, but of course I ignored it. It’s just how I roll. However, others noticed the redness and the unnatural tears and checked up on me that morning, and I ended up sitting the waiting room of a Japanese eye doctor’s office, completely terrified. Thoughts such as: what if I can’t tell them what’s wrong, and they accidentally take me into surgery and I go under and never wake up? Or what if they misunderstand me and decide to remove my eye and I have to become a pirate because I now wear a patch over my eye? Or what if it’s not even an eye doctor’s office at all, and its just some weird experimental place where they cut out your organs and sell them on the black market? It happens, okay. Anyway, this is what I was thinking about as I heard them try to pronounce my name from the front desk. I had been preparing my hand motions to demonstrate what I thought had happened to my eye, and I had a pretty good routine worked out, but much to my surprise, a nurse, dressed in all white walks over to me and starts chatting in perfect English. Not only that, the first thing she asks me is if I’m a missionary. We get to talking while she’s examining my nasty eye, and she used to go to one of our church’s here, but she hasn’t been in a long time because she’s been so busy. She was asking me why I was here and was so thankful that I would come to her country even after all the earthquake and radiation scares. Wow. Does God work in amazing ways or what? While I’m over here imagining ridiculous scenarios and complaining about a minuscule doctor’s visit, he was totally using my little eye situation for his glory. I am so selfish. Here I was making it all about me, and he so graciously reminded me that it is all about him. Thank goodness. I need that reminder on a daily basis, and I think this was one of the coolest ways he revealed himself to me. Now, I’m not exactly thrilled to put two sets of eyes drops in four times a day nor to have to wear my hideous glasses everyday for a week, but knowing how he is using every situation to promote his kingdom makes it so much easier. I can’t wait to head back there next Friday and invite her to church again!
Some other really cool things that have happened recently include an epic water fight at CCSI on the students last day of school. I came to take pictures and congratulate them on another completed year of school and left completely drenched. They certainly know their way around a hose.
Another really unique opportunity was to spend an afternoon with one of the college students here. I’m completely obsessed with her, she’s as adorable as can be, and we try to meet weekly to spend some time together. Well this Saturday we thought it would be fun to teach each other a dessert from our native country. I showed her how the Bennett family makes chocolate chip cookies, and she introduced me to coffee jelly, which only feeds my caffeine addiction, and I love it. Jelly here is equivalent to jello back home, so its like coffee flavored jello, cubed and swimming in milk. To die for. I will make it for all of you when I come home. We forgot to take pictures during the cooking process, but we were messing around on my computer and snapped a couple silly photos on photo booth.
That night, we watched a Japanese TV show together. No subtitles, but from the body language and context, I could almost know exactly what was going on! The show itself was pretty depressing, but it was so cool to experience their culture in that way, and to see how similar the human condition is despite the different settings. I almost forgot they were speaking a different language!
Okay, well I just wanted to share that little experience with y’all because I knew I would forget if I waited too long. If my scattered mess of a mind bothers you, I’m so sorry! I would love to say order will be restored soon, but I don’t like to promise anything unless I’m 100% sure I can deliver. I’ll do my best to keep you updated! I am praying for y’all constantly, and I know you are faithful in praying for me as well. I am so thankful for you, and I wish you could all be here to see the ways the Lord’s work is carried out in this incredible country! Thank you so much for everything :)
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