My laptop is fixed! Hoorah! I'd been silent for 10 days because my keyboard and even the USB keyboard no longer worked so I finally buckled and tromped down the hill to find a repair shop. I looked for the one Benjamin had recommended to me, but to my dismay the shop was closed. I turned around and was about to head back up when I noticed a computer store across the street. It wasn't clear if they repaired laptops or just sold them, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask since I'd walked all the way down there.
I pushed open the door to MegaZone. At first, I didn't see the man leaning backwards on his chair behind a counter piled high with electronics, but instead noticed the two mosquitoes that had rushed in with me. Then I heard his voice. May I help you?
I told him about my problem and in less than a minute he'd diagnosed it. I needed a new keyboard. How much will it cost? I asked in trepidation. I was on a volunteer stipend and while my expenses thus far hadn't been as high as I'd budgeted, I was worried that it would be hundreds of dollars to replace, just like in the States.
Thirty-five dollars, he replied. I looked at him incredulously. Thirty-five dollars? Indeed, that was all. I left my cell number and my laptop and headed home.
A week or so later, I got a mysterious text from an unknown number. Keyboard is fixed. It said. For a moment I was confused, then I remembered. My laptop! I hurriedly replied that I would come by that evening.
Today was the second day of a head cold that hit me rather suddenly. I'd spent the day before sneezing my way through a box of tissues and while I wasn't sneezing as often today, I still had the runny nose and felt weary. But I needed my laptop and I needed to recharge my phone. So after supper, I bravely soldered my bag on to my shoulder, put on a Women of Faith mix on my mp3 player, and headed once more down the hill.
It didn't take long to check and make sure the keyboard was functioning and soon I was trudging back up the steep road. I prayed most of the way up that a ride would come along but at the same time, I was content to walk because I knew it was good for me. After stopping at the Green Market to buy a cold bottle of water, I resumed the trek. Then, just before the bottom of the last steep bit, someone stopped to offer me a ride. I gratefully accepted and thanked them profusely.
A couple of weeks ago, I was going through another phase of culture shock and homesickness. I was encouraged to learn through Facebook groups of other missionaries that this was common. Since all I could do was wait it out, that was what I did. I talked to my family, did some writing, watched movies in English, ate chocolate, and waited.
Yesterday and today, even in the midst of all the sneezing and blowing my nose, I felt a deep abiding sense of peace. Last night, as I busied myself doing as many natural remedies as I had, I realized that even though I was feeling sick, I didn't feel sad that I wasn't home. In a way, it was the final movement of my trial by fire as I found myself feeling comfortably at home in my small room in Beirut, Lebanon.
I often wonder what God has in mind for me after this year. I'm doing my best to enjoy every moment of this year but it would be nice to know if this is all I have or if I'll stick around for several more years. I'm thankful God knows and will open the doors to His calling just as He clearly opened the door to come here in February. I'm also thankful for the abiding peace and joy He has placed in my heart every day I've been here, gently reminding me that I am fulfilling His purpose for my life right now.
Today I'm particularly thankful for a keyboard that works again so I can return to the land of blogging and write long emails!
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