Thursday Aug 20

As I write this, there  is a fabulous thunderstorm in progress.  This computer has shut down twice now due to lightning strikes close by. Being a weather nerd, I am really enjoying this.

The difference between short term volunteers (STV) and the pastors, bishops, consultants, etc. that are her this week is quite noticeable. The STV are so grateful they they are not sleeping on the floor of a church or in a tent, that they are having their meals prepared for them and that at the end of the day they can take a hot shower, that they ask for nothing.  The folks here this have differnt expectaions entirely: private rooms with baths, individual air conditioning units and meals that are served over the course of a couple of hours, such as breakfast is from 7-9, lunch  from 12-1:30, etc.  The meals here are served family style, everyone eats at te same time. But even this late in the week people wander in anywhere from the set time to an hour later and expect their meal to be waiting for them.  Another difference, is that the bishops from other countries, apparently have staff persons that do almost everything for them and are not used to having to make their own phone calls, go through a cafeteria line, etc.  It’s not only not wanting to do those things, but in a couple of cases its not knowing how to do it.

But, I have enjoyed, meeting all the people that are here this week. I am getting to practice speaking French and German with the representatives of the Methodist church from Germany and the Congo.  Also, I have enjoyed talking to the folks from the Methodist Church headqurters in NYC, since both my parents, my brother and my aunt worked in that same building at one time. My parent both worked for the National Council of Churches, my brother worked for the Methodists and my aunt worked for the Presbyterians.

Well, there’s a break in the rain, I’d better get back to work.

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