Dinner and Shopping with the “San Diego Nurses”, November 3, 2010

This afternoon the four nurses who had been living with us for a week wanted to do some shopping, so we took them to San Felipe to the market. Though only a few minutes from Antigua, the prices here are much more reasonable than in the tourist market in town. The girls had fun trying “typical” candies and buying some souvenirs, and they made a killing buying skirts.

Unfortunately, when we went to leave, the car would not start! We tinkered and tinkered with it, and finally Manolo, one of Leo’s sons who is a mechanic came to our rescue. His phone diagnosis proved to be correct, only poor battery connections, but it took him more than a few minutes to get them rectified.

Never ones to waste time, we took this opportunity to introduce the girls to street food. They enjoyed relenitos (mashed planatain, filled with black beans and chocolate, and then fried and coated with sugar—they taste better than they sound) and tortillas with queso (cheese). The lady making the food noticed the interest of the nurses in what she was doing, and soon began giving “cooking lessons” right there on the street!

When Manolo got the car started, we headed home to change clothes to go to dinner. The girls had invited the family, Jenny and me to have supper with them at an Indian restaurant in Antigua. Yes, more food. Yes, we do have Indian food in Guatemala, as well as Italian and Chinese (Guatemalan favorites) and even Thai cuisine.

We had a great time visiting, and listening to Leo story-tell and teach Guatemalan culture, as well as a generous helping of faith sharing. I’ve never met a man who is more of a natural teacher and entertainer at the same time! Each dinner is anticipated, waiting to hear what Leo will come up with that night.

These four ladies were only in Guatemala a short time, but I hope they will return.  They really wanted to be involved with the people here.  After discovering that there was not much work for them at the clinic where they were assigned to volunteer, they decided to come with me to Hermano Pedro one afternoon.  They then changed their volunteer site to the orphanage where they thought they could make more of a difference.  The way the loved on the kids, I know they did.