Coincidences...

Have you ever really stopped to ponder on that term we so often use: coincidence?  Well according to my cool android phone app dictionary, it means: "striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance."  It's an interesting concept to think that things just happen to "coincide" in our daily lives... do we really believe it is by mere chance???
Where to even start?!  Well, as many of you are aware... I spent three months this past spring in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rain forest with the Achuar people.  In the last two weeks or so I've been formulating both of my research papers for the end of this semester around that experience because it's so unique, it fascinates me to study it, and what can I say, the professors are impressed and that's never a bad thing in my book! :) 
So then this week in my Human Rights in Latin America class (ironically the one class I'm not researching the indigenous peoples of the Amazon), we are reading an entire book on oil exploitation and the effects on the indigenous groups in Ecuador of all places... exactly where I was.  "My people," "My river," etc. is talked about and pictured in the book - it's amazing that this is included in the course materials and I was just there!  So, needless to say I've been thinking a lot about my friends there, and still helping Jose try to get here to the U.S. for a visit... then randomly (or not so) I get an email from Napo (one of my former students there) begging for help with the English teaching program, they are having major problems etc.  Not twenty minutes later when I sign on to messenger, Jose (another former student and the one I'm helping with visa paperwork etc) happens to be in Quito and online!  I couldn't believe it as they normally have very limited internet access and I haven't "talked" to him in forever!  We talked a lot about his pending visit, how they've been struggling with the English classes etc.  Then I check my email yesterday and there just happens to be a message from another guy I worked with (who no longer works at Kapawi) just wondering how life is going and asking if I've heard from anyone at Kapawi and how things are going.  AND THEN...
I happened to mention to Teresa, my landlady, yesterday in passing that I was researching the Amazonian Indigenous peoples and so again "randomly" this morning she yells up that she's putting the New York Times Travel section on my stairs cause it's about the Amazon... well, it's about KAPAWI!  It's about my very people!  It's a cover and a full two page spread with beautiful pictures and all.  I couldn't believe my eyes!!!  Here's the link if you wanna check it out: http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/travel/17Ecuador.html?ref=travel

Coincidence all of it?!  I think not!  Not exactly sure what I think of it all, but I definitely prayed this morning asking God what He's trying to show/tell me.  I'm forever connected to the Achuar.  What I'm supposed to do with that, I'm not sure, but I guess I'm on the path!

KK