Tuesday and Wednesday, Days 12 and 13: PWOC

Some days are pretty ordinary. Tuesday morning seven ladies crowded into Erika's living room to rehearse music for the Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) where she is the worship leader. I watched the three little boys on the front porch, which also serves as Simeon's play room and toy storage. I thought they were awfully noisy, but Erika says the women never heard them.

After nap I took Simeon to the playground. The housing area has several, all different. This one is not designed for toddlers. The only way to the slide is this complicated climbing tower that sends moms into panic mode when their kids are learning it.

The big boys were playing soccer and Simeon wanted desperately to join in, but lacks the skills. Erika's sister-in-law, who lives in the same complex, brought a ball for the younger boys to use to practice. "No hands" was a hard concept to master, but progress was made. :-)

This morning was the PWOC Bible study. We got there early to set up the music in the chapel only to find the facility had been commandeered for some kind of major briefing with generals. It took a while to figure out where we should be instead and arrange a piano. No projector so all the time Erika spent last evening setting up the PowerPoint was for nothing. Instead she photocopied the chord charts with words she had prepared for the praise team. Flexibility is the name of the game.

Erika with the guitar.

I really liked her small group studying Twelve Women of the Bible by Naomi Zacarias. Today was the Syro-Phonecian woman, and there was good discussion and sharing. They had to pass around the tissue box more than once. I'm so grateful for Erika to have these relationships.

The parking lot was so crowded with buses leaving after the briefing that we decided to walk a couple blocks to Burger King for lunch and worry about getting out later. Yes, Burger King. There is one right on base. I'm not sure the food was really up to par for BK, but there was a playground and before we left, other kids had joined us, much to Simeon's delight. The mom was an acquaintance of Erika's. They had a good chat, but the family is "PCS-ing" soon. I don't remember what that stands for, but it means leaving, getting reassigned to a new location. Missionary kids constantly have to deal with good-byes, but for military families (at least in Korea), it is even worse because the turn over is every couple years. Hard to build relationships. At this point, Erika is running into some people she knows from previous assignments, or at least mutual friends who provide introductions. Erika says she is getting lots of practice at making friends.