Progress and Visits

Lorenza calls Cristina

David and his mother

Cristina aka Aurora

My fellow "Soldada de Roca", Angelica

My first god-daughter, Ester

Leví is entering the 21st century - last night he was at his niece's house and she told him I was online on facebook. So he started to message me under her name, till I reminded him of his account and password (wife=secretary!)While we chatted, Sabi brought me sandwiches of meat sauteed with peppers and onions. He went home after a while and tried to call me at the church, but could not get through. So he returned to his niece's house. Meanwhile, Sabina sent one of her nephews to get me a pre-paid phone card so I could call HIM. And that's what we did, finally connecting, talking about my arrival. Around 9 I was yawning like crazy so he urged me to go to bed. I slept well, and when I got up around 7:30 I went to Sabina's for breakfast. Chicken bits with peppers and onions - I told her, you can make anything taste good by adding peppers and onions! We had no formal agenda planned, so Jorge escorted me by mototaxi, with a bag of the clothes my grands outgrew, a big bottle of vitamins for children and one for women, to the tailor shop of my friend pastora Lorenza (whose daughter Ester is one of my 2 god-daughters, and whose 5-year-old daaughter was named after me!)  She was totally surprised and delighted, and said my coming was very timely because she is in the midst of a very heavy economic crisis due to a loan her oldest daughter took out and has been unable to keep up with paymnts - so Lorenza as co-signer faces losing her house, and the sewing machines of her trade. I told her, were I rich, I would pay off her debt ( the equivalent of about  $1500)- but that I would at least pray and alert others to pray for her situation.(SO PLEASE PRAY! And if you can help let me know, I'll tell you how to wire money to her!)) I have faced such crunches too, and understand the stress - and have seen God move, to the glory of His name, in unexpectd ways. While I was at her shop another sister, "Soldd de Roca, Anglica, who was with us at Machu Picchu, happned by and was surprised to see me thus unannounced. Lorenza's eldest son David - he's 14 or 15 - also came by. He has left school to work to help his mother, at HIS insistance (let me mention, Lorenza is a widow with many children) and today was his first day. My goddaughter Ester came by and gasped when she saw me. I think she'll be 17 this year! Well, then Lorenza was calling our mutual friend Cristina, and telling her "You have to come quickly, I don't know what to do, I'm desparate, hurry!" SCARING her (and Lorenza's muffled laughter sounded like crying). I hid when Cristina was approaching, and she took a seat, wondering what was up, and out I popped. Again - surprise and delight. Well, I treated us four adults to "pollo a la braza" (rotisserie chicken) with chicken noodle soup, fries, salad, and good ol' Coca Cola. Angelica brought her 4 yer old grandson, who focused on the fries. We had the whol chicken cut in eighths, and I sent the leftovers home with Lorenza to shar with the other kids. For that meal it was the equivalent of $14...a worthwhile expenditure to treat my friends. But you can't outgive God. Lorenza bought me some small bananas and tangerines to snack on! Then Cristina and I walkd to her house to visit and catch up on what we'd been going through during the past year. Lorenza and Anglica joined us a bit later with bread, whole grain crackers, cheese, and coffee.I crammed some chese and crackers into the space in my esophagus, till Jorge came for me around 4:30. And here I am online!