I have just been here for 3 days and there is already so much to tell. I will try to tell little by little. So I am living in St. Elisabeth hospital in a small village called Lela. It is so small that the village doesn’t even show up on the map. Not even google earth knows where this place is. All I know is that it is an hour drive south from the city of Maumere (the major city in Flores) through windy roads and dense forest until you get to the other side of the island right on the beach somewhere, not exactly sure where. Even if the internet/maps may not claim it, this place does exist and I am here and this place is one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen. The hospital I am working in was the first on the island founded about 80 years ago and it is run by the Sisters of the Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS). Despite being well established, there are only two doctors that work here, Dr. Amel and Dr. Siska who I will be working with. Both have welcomed me with open hearts.
It is sort of weird being here because I really do not know what I am doing here on a daily basis. What is scary for me is that the people here do not know what to do with me. Being the first volunteer here from a different country, I think the people here are as lost as I am as to what to do with me. On one hand, I am here to help, to serve the people here with what ever it is they need no matter how small or low the job may be. On the other hand, the people here see it as such an honor that someone from America would come and visit them. Because of this, they feel sort of embarrassed when I try to help out because they think that it is too low of a job for someone like me.
Again, because I am the first volunteer here, there is no set program for me. What’s even worse is that the priest who is suppose to help me set something up is out of town until Saturday. Dr. Amel has been really helpful in sort of showing me and my parents around the area and trying to think of something for me to do, but of course she is also very busy. Because of this lack of scheduling and order to the day I am learning to trust God and work on His time while I am here. Hopefully, I can adjust to the culture here and the people here can adjust to me being here.
Just baking some bread in the kitchen
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