Rabuna Fii

            Today I was standing by my friend, R., as she washed clothes. The soapy water created suds over her calloused hands while she was asking after William. We had a bit of a scare this morning involving an accident with the quad bike and our three year old. There was alot of blood, a few stitches, alot of grace and of course our entire community standing in a kitchen showing their love by being present as we tended his wounds. Afterwards when my brave boy was sleeping I went to greet and assure my friends that William was fine.

The entire event was a bit on the traumatic side for both J and I, not because anything serious occurred (praise God) but because potentially his accident could have been very serious and evaluating severity in a kitchen with limited resources is humbling.

As I stood there out in the sun watching water splash against the cement “sink” I described the incident to R. I used a common phrase that what occurred was a big problem. She swiftly corrected me. I have to pause here to say this woman is no stranger to grief and sadness. She has lost two children, one at birth and one shortly after and has lived a life full of disappointments. She grabbed my hand and said to me, “Abook it is not a problem because Rabuna Fii”. “Rabuna Fii” is a hard phrase to translate well. “fii” is a complex verb in Arabic which means in or is or connotes presence. Rabuna is God. This woman who had seen much sadness and disappointment knew in the heart of her soul that circumstances cannot create problems because God is present. It is His presence that is enough.

William is fine (praise God!) we took him to the UN where a doctor was present (he has only been on site for 10 days) and helped us access injuries and do some stitching. I used an open suture kit to practice my suturing skills to try and be more prepared for the unexpected (my sponge was a great patient) and we celebrated this evening with our teammates and neighbors that Rabuna Fiii and no matter what tomorrow holds that is enough.