Each year towards the end of May, we get a good rain; a long afternoon of moderate rain. It's the kick-off to about four months of rain. And then after the rain, they come...
...thousands of them.
They come out of the wood, where they've been living (driven out by the rain) and try to enter the house by any means possible (cracks under the doors, the fireplace, a window that hasn't been installed properly).
In Spanish they are called palomillas and since I am quite certain that they don't exist in the States, I don't know the English name for them. But to give you a visual, imagine ants with wings.
Last night they came.
I should have seen it coming. It's the end of May, we had a long rain, I should have known it was coming. Within a few minutes of the end of the rainstorm, they were upon us. We ran shouting to the doors to beat the palomillas and limit how many of them got inside. And we donned hats and scarves to keep them from trying to attack our ears, mouths, and noses.
And then, just like that, they were gone.
Thankfully these palomillas have weak wings that fall off after a few hours. The "flying ants" fall to the earth where they live only a few minutes without their wings. Then we are left with the aftermath...thousands and thousands (seriously, I am not exaggerating) of wings and bodies of these palomillas.
This too shall pass.
Since I experienced the palomillas last May, my response this year was less shocked. I knew that within a few hours, these palomillas would pass.
This too shall pass.
It's a piece of wisdom that I'm learning bit by bit out here at the Villa.
No light? This too shall pass.
No water? This too shall pass.
Frustrations? This too shall pass.
Homesickness? This too shall pass.
Kids being uncooperative? This too shall pass.
Broken toe? This too shall pass.
(I think you get the picture)
I have learned that I am not just here in Honduras to serve the ministry. I am also here to learn and grow and mature and be molded into the person that God wants me to be. And each experience here (the good, the bad, and the ugly) brings me one step closer to this goal.
And although I do sometimes get frustrated, or reach my limit, I can remind myself that "this too shall pass". It always does, it always will, and I always come out stronger.
Here are some pictures, although you can't really see how many there truly were.
Above: The frogs had a field day, eating up the palomillas as they fell to the ground!
Below: Palomillas flying just above the roof of the Villa.
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