Just when...

Last night I went to bed feeling particularly content. I had a to-do list a mile long to get ready for class this week - make a monkey puppet, plan a monkey activity, figure out how to introduce 3 sight words with the letter m (mama, mesa, mono), create a hopscotch game for the number 6, complete the annual learning plan, etc, but I was not feeling stressed.  The combination of a relaxing weekend, a walk through the community, culinary creativity, Sunday worship service and a reunion with some Dominican family and friends had me in a really good place.

The calm of my weekend and feelings of making another stride in the adjustment was shattered about 45 minutes after I woke up Monday morning. We had something happen last night the story began. Our privacy was violated when a couple of thieves tried to steal a few things from the window. "Somehow" the bag of dog food which was several feet away tipped over loud enough to awaken my host family just in time to see the computer on the floor but too late to keep the tote bag from being stolen. There is absolutely no explanation for why the 10lb bag of dog food tucked away in the pantry tumbled to the floor, other than the fact that God is always alert and has angels watching over us day and night.

It could have been worse, and I know the same thing can happen anywhere in the world, and has happened to several of my friends and family. There is a sense of a loss of privacy and trust that comes afterwords. And even a little worry... or a lot of worry. However, it feels even harder, because I really felt like I had just hit a sweet spot in the adjustment process;  I know how to open doors with the funny handles, I can concho (public transportation cars) back and forth to school with no problem, I know where to get off the M concho, I know which supermarket I like the best, I have a favorite colmado, I can occasionally understand the jokes made by others, etc, etc. So today, maybe I take one baby step backwards, and tonight I may not rest nearly as peacefully as I did the last 3 weeks, but I'm reminded that I'm not on this journey alone. My God is always with me, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort and protect me.