Me da rabia

There is a really good word in Spanish for feeling really, really angry about something.
"Me da rabia" means, "it makes me furious." "Rabia" is also the word for, just what it sounds like, "rabies". It's like saying, "it just gives me rabies that such and such a thing happened. In English we might say..."it just makes my blood boil". I am not literally foaming at the mouth, I don't think, but the injustice of some things is just incredible.

The second group of pastors and their wives came on Wednesday. They each come from small towns not too far away from Santa Barbara, the town. They all live in Santa Barbara, the provence. Miriam and Marlen live maybe 45 minutes away, Rosa and Norma closer to an hour and a half.

Miriam has a Bible School education, very well read, good teacher, loves to talk, brings with her, her two "active" little boys of about 7 and 5. The conversation in the second group is a lot livelier because of Miriam. She has a cronic ear problem that causes her a lot of trouble.

Marlen is a really sweet. She brings her 5 year old daughter with her. The daughter is a lot of fun--has a mischevious smile most of the time. Norma is really sharp, too. She doesn`t bring her kids with her, though it is always a question mark if she will come, depending on if she can find someone to stay with them. Both Marlen and Norma are a lot quieter than Miriam, but have good things to share in conversation. They have high school, I think, though I haven`t asked. They are very bright.

Rosa comes from probably the humblest background of the four. She has three very well behaved children, two of whom came with her this time. Her older daughter is in high school, living with a family here in Santa Barbara. They took advantage of the lunch and supper breaks to go see her. She is soft spoken, but love for the Lord shines out from her. Her comments are few, but right on. She has a bacterial infection in her bones that causes her to be in constant pain, unless she keeps up with a treatment that she needs to get once a month. One doctor told her there is no cure, but continual treatment will keep it under control. Another told her that it is cureable, but it takes about 10 years of constantly getting the treatment.

Rosa's situation right now is the one that makes me angry. Not with Rosa, of course. I just can`t imagine anyone ever getting angry with Rosa. A few months ago, the elders of her church decided to look for a different pastor. They found one, but didn`t even bother to tell Rosa's husband that he was going to be out of a job. Rosa and her husband heard it through rumors. When they asked the elders if what they had heard was true, it was confirmed. They were out of a job. No time to make another plan. The church has told them they can stay in the house until they have a place to move to. They were given about $50 as "severence pay". I think Rosa's treatment costs that much. Their daughter has to pay half that much every month in rent in order to stay in high school.

After the meetings were over, Rosa and her family (minus the daughter in high school) came over to our house for lunch, we cut down some coconuts that Rosa will use to make a coconut candy that she sells. I asked her questions about their situation, and she quietly answered them--hurt, concerned, but no bitterness in her tone of voice. The strongest emotion I heard in her was when she mentioned one lady in the church who gives them milk and cheese, and that was gratitude.

I am humbled by the strength of her faith and the grace of her speech. I don`t even have words to express how I felt.

"Rabia" is as close as I can get.