Tuesday--June 29th

Woke up this morning to bright sunshine.  Was a real treat after expecting 48 hours of heavy rain.  Evidently Alex changed direction a bit.  I kinda half know what is going on in the world, as I'm watching/listening to the news in Spanish and catch about every other word.  It's getting to be easier to speak only Spanish, but every morning it seems I have to "reorient" my mind, as I still dream in English!

It struck me this morning at breakfast, how eating here is used as a "de-stresser."  I know I seem to be writing a lot about food, but the social customs associated with eating fascinate me.  I was so used to eating at the kitchen counter while I worked around the house, I don't think I ever really enjoyed the relaxation property of a good meal. 

Guess I'm writing this to encourage those of you in the US to consider implementing a family dinner one night a week.  Not just to eat together and then rush off to watch TV or other activities.  But to eat slowly, savoring the company as much as the food.  Somehow this practice seems to help me reconnect with my heart and spirit.  I can feel the tension drain away as we visit about nothing of any importance.  The emphasis is on the connection, not the content.  I realize this was one of the things that drew me to Guatemala in the first place!

When I got to the orphanage today, I found a young woman I have known for a number of years waiting for me.  She has been having great difficulties in her life and wanted to talk with me.  If I ever thought it was difficult to give Biblical counsel in English, it's nothing compared to how hard it is for me to do in Spanish.  But, thanks to God's grace, I think I was able to speak the truth with love.  Please pray for Lily as she makes some difficult decisions.

When I got to the children's area, I discovered that Bobbi (whose picture began this entry) was not in his bed, but right next to the nurses' desk.  He is having a lot of chest congestion, and some vomiting, so they started him on an IV.  Please pray for him.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but these guys are so medically fragile that even a small cold or the flu can become life threatening overnight.

Later in the day, Dick, two of his neighborhood kids (Esbin & Brian) and I took four of the kids from Hermano Pedro to lunch.  I took Carlitos who is fairly new to the orphanage and had never been to Pollo Campero before.  What a treat it was.  He usually eats a type of mush at the home, and I wasn't too sure how he would do with real food.  Not only could he eat it, he fed himself most of it.  He didn't know how to drink from a straw at first, but once he tasted Pepsi, he figured it out quickly.  Dick thinks Carlitos has found a new "mama" (me) and I'm pretty sure I've got another "favorite" to visit each day. 

We let the kids play on the playground for a while, though Carlitos' legs are so twisted he can't really get around without a lot of help.  He seemed to thoroughly enjoy watching the other kids climbing and sliding.  Carlitos has a belly laugh that warms my heart.

On the way home I got caught in a sudden cloud burst, and didn't manage to find a tuk-tuk (a Guatemalan scooter taxi) until about half way home.  As I walked in the door, Mari told me to hurry and change.  She had a surprise for me, and we were going out. 

We ended up at the small village of San Pedro, close to Antigua, and up the side of the Agua volcano.  This village has a week long fiesta to honor the feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ).  The fiesta began today and runs through Sunday.  There were many religious displays, four marimba bands, Gigantes dancers (giants) and LOTS of food (what else would there be in Guatemala?).  

Today I broke the rule of never eating "street food" and tasted some wonderful new dishes served by the lady who runs the local grocery store in San Pedro.  We started our walking dinner with corn-on-the-cob, covered with lime juice and salt.  Very different from the butter we smother it with, and I think I like it better.  We then had deep fried tortillas filled with cheese, and covered with tomato sauce and cabbage.  Dessert was milk and rice served as a drink.  It doesn't sound very appealing, I know, and I was hesitant to try it at first.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it was like a drinkable rice pudding. 

It was a bit strange when I realized I was probably the only white person in the entire town, but no one seemed to mind.  This was a new experience for me, though, because whenever I've gone into villages before, I've always been with American missionaries.  This time I was with a bunch of Guatemalan women.  I am grateful for the way they have accepted me, and they seem to delight in exposing me to all things Guatemalan.  I imagine I will learn a lot more from them in the coming days.

(Since I didn't know where we were going, I didn't take my camera.  I'm filling in tonight with a couple pictures from the internet!)