This past weekend I did my "bonding experience" in a village called opacho.  The family that I lived with was very hospitable and, even though we couldn't really talk, they were very kind to me.  I was sad to leave at the end.  

They live a very different life than I do.  The mom, for instance, carries her son on her back all day everyday, and carries big big buckets of water, and baskets of corn or beans or peanuts from the farm, and makes 3 meals a day (unless a white boy stays at her house, then it's about 7 meals.)  Needless to say, she was strong.  

God showed me how blessed I am last weekend, and also gave me a glimpse of how to live simply.  In the little backpack I brought, I had more STUFF than that whole family.  The dad, Albino, has two outfits and one of those is a flowery dress.  (A lot of men wear women's clothes, but they don't know it.  sshhhh.)

I've also been very amazed so far at how HUGE God is.  There have been a couple nights in particular where I have looked up into the sky at night and seen about 4 million stars.  God is present and working in people and churches even in a little town like Opacho.  

At church there were 8 men and one women and about 12 kids.  I led singing (in makua metto - there are about 5 songs I've learned well enough to lead) and read scripture.  

So this bonding experience overall was a huge blessing, and honestly I've only scratched the surface, but there is no way I can put all God is teaching me into this message.  I hope it's ok for me just to say... God's teaching me a lot and it's only been 2 weeks.