Nede

A few days ago I was walking down the street with adriano and commented how I am amazed that all the people here, on such harsh conditions, are so happy. We had just passed the house of a woman who always calls to us to visit her. She appeared so happy. Adriano said he thinks it's a superficial happiness.
Then yesterday during our visits we visited her. Nede is her name. She led us to the back of her house (in her towel and reaking of alcohol), sat us in half broken chairs, and cried. Her husband left her for another woman. She told us of her loneliness and kept touching her heart, which she said was in deep pain. What a big realization for me. OUTSIDE she appears happy, but INSIDE she is filled with sadness. How this was even more clear to me because of our location in her house. Her pain reminded me of a pain I once had and I was moved to sit next to her on the rock. Her loneliness penetrated me and I couldn't help but put my arm around her. I think human touch heals... Especially human touch draped in the love of Christ. We prayed a decade of the rosary for Nede's life and she cried into my arms.
I have been thinking about how Elizabeth Gilbert said in Eat Pray Love something about how the pain of human love exists across all continents and cultures. I am seeing this first hand as this is not the first woman this week to come to me this week saddened by men. I am thanking God for all the heart breaks I've had in my tiny life because now I am able to see the purpose of the pain. I am able to sit WITH these women and have a special kind of compassion.

Pray for my return to the fazenda on Sunday because I have really fallen in love with the life here. I am having to trust in God's reason for having me at the fazed instead.

Até
Érica

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