Frustrations

I am frustrated today. Our kitchen is still not done. We were gone for a week in Pyramid, got back July 20th. July 21st the maintenance guys here came in to take apart our kitchen. The termites have done a great amount of damage and so the guys had to rip out our sinks and the counters. For awhile we did not have drinking water, then we didn’t have hot water and had to boil water on the stove for washing. I also found out that our pembantu that cooks, Ibu Poppi, will not be here before the kids all come. We have 12 dorm kids coming next Tuesday. Ibu Poppi won’t be here until at least Thursday. Last night, we had another water situation while we were out. We got a phone call that our water tank was flooding all over, and other houses around us were completely out of water. That caused a lot of problems. Then today, our main toilet in our apartment was leaking into our bedroom again! It is the fourth time at least that this has happened.
We are having such a hard time getting visas for some of the teachers who are scheduled to teach this school year, but can’t until the visas go through. So it looks like Wyatt will have to be in a 5th and 6th grade combined class, and Emma and Sophie will be dismissed at noon on Fridays. The visas are sitting in Jakarta until the guy in charge decides to sign them and pass them through. Frustrations!
I was reading in one of my devotion books called Dear Jesus today and was blessed by something it said. Each day we can choose to live in God’s presence or live in the presence of our problems. When our focus is on God, our perspective is brighter, more joyful. When we are preoccupied with our problems, we feel weighed down and anxious. I know that today my focus was on my problems and my frustrations were growing. However, I realize that that does me no good. I did not change one of these things by wallowing around in “poor me” mode. I also know that God’s presence can surround me and give me peace whether my kitchen is finished, or my bathroom is working or my pembantu is cooking. I just need to keep reminding myself of that. I keep forgetting.
So, thanks for listening. I am learning and growing through these moments.
Love you-
Rachel