Monday, June 28

I rode along to take Donna to the airport this morning.  I was sad to see her go, but I know she's anxious to get back to her family, and it will be good for me to find a routine to settle into as I work with the kids.  Thank you, Donna for all you did and will continue to do for the kids at Hermano Pedro. 

Estella, the lady who runs the shuttle we use, is becoming a friend.  I'm learning the truth of the adage that in Hispanic communities "the friend of my friend is my friend."  After we dropped Donna off at the airport, she asked if I minded if we ran a few errands.  Eager to see more of Guatemala City, of course I agreed.

Our first stop was the Internation Bank where Estelle needed to have some papers copied.  We entered a building that could have been any large bank in the US, except that we had to go through a metal detector and show identification and be issued a visitor's pass before we were allowed in.  As we waited for her papers to be copied, Estelle told me some of her story.  I continue to be amazed by the transparency of the Gautemalan women as they share their lives with me. 

Next she took me to Cemaco, a store she said has "everything from the United States."  I felt like I was in a Walmart and TJ Max combined, with a little bit of Ace Hardware thrown in for good measure.  If I had been worried about having access to American goods, I no longer have any concern about this.  I think I could outfit a whole house from that one store!  I bought a few things to make my room more homey, and we were off to our next stop.

I've written before about the tradition of  "cafecito" (coffee break) in Guatemala.  Today I found out it happens not only in late afternoon, but whenever friends get together.  Estelle treated me to coffee and croissants before we returned to Antigua.  I arrived home just in time for, you guessed it, lunch!  Sharing food and fellowship is a huge part of this culture I'm learning.  The pace of meals here is so relaxed and the conversation at the table so rich.  I think we Americans could learn something from this tradition of the Guatemalans.

In the afternoon I went to Hermano Pedro, and met up with Dick Rutgers for the first time this trip.  He was working on giving Leslie, a little girl from Santa Rosa, a new wheelchair.  Leslie's father was visiting her today, and I was happy to get to meet him.  A team coming from Westside Church in Omaha (my home church) will be building a house for Leslie's family in about a week and a half.  He was so excited as we talked about the house build that he could hardly sit still.  I am enjoying so much getting to meet the parents of the children at Hermano Pedro.  Though they cannot care for their children at home, it is obvious the love and concern they have for them.  I am realizing the sacrifice they make to allow their children to be cared for so far away. 

I indulged myself this afternoon, and spent most of my time rocking Leonel.  Leonel came to Hermano Pedro about 2 years ago, at the age of 8 (I think), weighing in at about 17 pounds.  I've gotten to see his growth and progress each time I've visited, and about a year ago, got to visit his family at their home north of Huehuetenango.  Leonel has very little voluntary movement other than his eyes and facial expressions, but that's enough to let you know what he likes and what he doesn't.  And he makes it clear he doesn't like to be lonely.  So today, Leonel and I just rocked and talked for about an hour.  His smile warms me to my very bones.  How I wish I could know what is going on in the mind behind those beautiful, expressive eyes. 

I did visit with a few of the other children, and then took a ride out to Chimaltenango with Dick to see some of his other kids.  Later we had dinner and caught up on what has been going on in our lives since Easter.  We also did a bit of planning about future ministry, as Dick has found a number of children in villages that he has "volunteered" me to see.  Actually, going on the road to visit kids and set up communication systems is almost as much fun as being with the kids at Hermano Pedro. 

For anyone concerned about my safety (thanks, Joel, for rattling everyone's cages on Facebook), Hurricane Alex is not expected to hit Guatemala, though they predict heavy rain here for the next 48 hours as a result of its course toward Mexico.  The temperature here tonight is quite chilly, and I had to dig out a sweater I'd packed away for the "winter."  We are quite safe here, though a little soggy around the edges. Please pray for the people in the path of the storm.  Those who are poor always suffer the most in these situations, and I'm sure that's true in Mexico and Texas as well as in Guatemala.