Central America

As we started out from Chiapas early Monday morning, the landscape seemed to alternate between hot, muggy, dense vegetation and dry, open spaces, scattered with a few trees here and there.

All along the road were these little fruit stands containing mangos, pineapple

We arrived at the Guatemalan boarder in the late afternoon. The paperwork for us and the van weren’t too complicated (well, I didn’t think it was, considering Dad was the one to do the van stuff, and it went pretty fast…). As we waited in the line-up of cars, many of them were pretty beat up, and had another crashed car in tow. Apparently Guatemala is a cheap to fix broken down cars!

Once over the boarder, it was a ways to where the brother lived. When stopping for dinner, we met some Christians at the restaurant who strongly advised us to stay in the city we were in for the night, because of danger on the roads at night.

We left the town late morning, and were back on the road. It was early afternoon when we arrived where we thought the brother we were going to visit lived. They had given us a town name, and a kilometer number to help us locate the house, in addition we had their number we were to call once we crossed the boarder. When we had crossed, we called, then kept calling as we got closer, but nobody answered. Expecting him to call back, we just kept on driving, but he never did. We went up and down the highway looking for kilometer 87, but couldn’t find it. We asked people along the road; they were eager to help, and give us directions whether they knew what they were talking about or not! We were sent to the north, then to the south, east and west, never getting to where we wanted to!

Lalo had been to the house once before, years ago, but said everything seemed to have changed, and he didn’t recognize anything! It was soon after that we were informed there were two highways running parallel, and this one had just been built, implying the old highway was the one the brother was on!

Finally on the right road, we thought it would be easier to find the place… but it wasn’t. We did the same thing; driving up and down, asking people, some who really did know, others who didn’t, not knowing which ones to believe. From what Lalo remembered they lived out in the country on a sugar cane plantation, so we were looking for an isolated little farm. Later we found out in a hurricane he had lost all he had, and they now lived right in the town in a smaller place.

I’m not sure how it happened, but the Lord helped us to finally find the place, way back in this little alleyway off the road. By the time we pulled in, it was almost dark, and the brother who had come three hours to meet us there had already left. The brother we were coming to visit had dropped his phone in a well, explaining why he hadn’t answered his phone, the only place our number was stored.

Only two daughter-in-laws and their children were at the house when we got there, and we invited them out to dinner. Upon getting back to the house, the majority of the family was back, and we went around greeting everyone. Something Mom has learned the hard way is that the greeting customs here are slightly different than in South America. You shake everyone’s hands, and only sometimes do you kiss the girls on the cheek, never the guys…

We had a reading till late, then while Mom and Dad arranged for their sleeping accommodations in the van, the rest of us sat around and talked. Before going to bed Anna enlightened us all on the conditions of the outhouse in the corner of the property, and we decided to check it out. In the dark, not too much was visible, meaning our ears were a bit more attentive. What we heard as we got close was not to pleasant. It sounded like someone was smacking while eating mushed up bananas with their mouth open. Pulling the curtain aside to the mud-brick wall, and shining the head lamp in, to the left, a roll of toilet paper was perched on a protruding nail, the waist-basket full of used paper was set below, and directly ahead was the toilet seat. The closer we got to the seat, the louder the sound got, and looking into the hole was a sight enough to cause you to throw up. Down below was a sick mass of brown waste churning, and sparkling with shining light. There were animals down there!! I don’t know if they were bugs, or worms, or what (Anna suggested snakes) but whatever it was, was gross. I got in and out of there as quickly as possible.
Lalo slept on a hammock on the porch, Mom, Dad and Anna in the van, while Ben, Nate and I were on the roof. I think the three of us got the better end of the deal. The heat from the three bodies in the van accumulated, along with the necessity of using blankets in defense against the mosquitos. We had a cool breeze encouraging the pests away, in addition to not needing to use any kind of covering. Falling asleep under the palm trees silhouetted against the dark blue starry sky was both comforting, and un-nerving, considering the gentle swooshing of the palmfrons combined with the crickets’ and toads’ melodies lulled us to sleep, but at the same time, all around us we could hear the coconuts falling unprovoked from the tops of those looming trees not giving exception to anything or anyone below. Nathan, the most directly below the hard, round bowling ball sized weapons was a bit paranoid, but soon exhaustion overcame the three, and we slept amazingly (especially me, the “spoiled” one, who got to use the pad off the back bed in the van).

We woke up to the sound of roosters crowing, and water running in preparation for breakfast. At eight o’clock it was already too warm, and muggy.

Ben helped in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, mashing up different chilies, tomatoes and cilantro to make salsa. Some the rest of us played soccer with the kids, and Nate sharpened his shock-put skills by trying to launch one of the fallen coconuts up into the gigantic mango tree, encouraging the large, ripe mangos to release their hold, and fall into his hands. It didn’t work quite that well, and we all had to cover our heads, and dodge the coconut rain during his attempts.

Breakfast was an artistic array of green onions, brown beans, and bright colored salsa over the meat.
After another little reading, we were once again on our way, this time to El Salvador!

The boarder was only a few hours from the house, and the time went quickly. While getting the paperwork for the van (for some reason, after stamping out of Guatemala, we didn’t have to get our passports stamped into, or out of the country there), Mom was walking around when she met a couple of girls in the boarder jail. It was one tiny room with small square bars on the door. When asked what they were in there for, a confusing answer was given, probably the way they say it in El Salvador is different than other countries. Anyways, we came to find out that they were in there for prostitution. They were asking for money, (because there in jail, others have to provide food, and anything else they need) so Mom said she had to go ask her husband for something to give them. She told me about them, and asked if I would go talk to them with Lalo. Honestly, I didn’t really want to go, but after I did, I was glad. It made me so sad though, they seemed like just ordinary women, (minus the excess of make-up they wore). They talked to me like any other girl would! I don’t think they wanted to be in that situation at all! While I was talking to them, a woman in her fifties (pretty obviously their manager, or whatever those people are called in charge of the girls), as well as two even younger girls than those incarcerated, wearing heavy eye makeup, skimpy tops, short skirts, and unnecessarily high heels walked up. They listened, and talked a little too. When we went to leave, the older lady standing with us, not knowing Lalo had given the girls something before she had came, began to reprove him for just preaching, and not helping with their physical needs. He didn’t say what he had done, but was very polite as we left. Because we didn’t have to leave as soon as we’d imagined, Nate and I went and bought a couple mangos and a cold soda for them, for which they were so thankful.

It was dark by the time we arrived in San Salvador. Neither Dad, nor Lalo had been here, so once again it was a little complicated finding the hotel the brethren had suggested we stay at. When we arrived, Juan Ventura, one of the main brothers in the meeting, was standing right outside waiting for us. Juan had lived at our house around seven years ago for a few months, and had helped us with both painting our house, and laying tile in our kitchen. It was neat getting to see him again, especially now that all of us can speak much better Spanish than we used to.

The hotel was very interesting. It had been there for decades, and visiting brethren had stayed it in since Jimmy Smith, years ago.

The next day we went and visited a family, who invited us all to stay at their house! The great-grandmother had just lost her husband a few months ago, but she was eager to have us come.

It was only later, after we’d stayed there a night we realized that she, her daughter, grandson, and granddaughter were all sleeping in one room, while Anna and I shared one room, and Mom and Dad another. Ben and Nathan stayed at her oldest daughter’s house down the road.

When we had talked more with the sister, we found that she had lived for some time in the US. Some years were spent in California, and Oregon, but most were in Maryland, where two daughters, a son, and quite a few other more distant relatives live. The two grandchildren living with her are cousins, who both have their parents working in the US to support them. The grandson hasn’t seen his dad in five years, and his mom in three! Both his parents are re-married to other people after moving there, and his dad has a whole new family! He told me that it is really common there in El Salvador, and five of his friends at the school he is attending are in the exact same situation. But even through all of that, it was really neat to see how encouraged he was in the Lord, and how he was trusting Him to work things out with his family.

On Saturday we had fun with their family, as well as others from the assembly, going out to the beach! We all piled into our van, at least four to a seat, Nathan underneath the bed, in the dark, and Ben lying on the bed.
Lining the shore, are tons of little “fincas” (translated into English, that would be farms, but they weren’t farms… it was more like large houses, with about an eighth of an acre, and a pool) you can rent for the day, along with a meal. It took us a while to find one that had a good price for both the lot and the food, but after driving up and down the road, taking advantage of passing out calendars and tracts, we went back to one of the first ones we’d seen.

The ocean had huge waves that crashed in a magnificent way, the water curling over itself, allowing the sunlight to shine through, giving it a smooth, greenish blue hue. If only it was as safe as it was beautiful. Going up to only our knees in the luke-warm water, the rip-tide was obviously extremely strong, and scary, reminding me of the last time I’d been in a rip-tide in Ecuador, and had almost drowned along with Nate, Dad, and Daniel.
Most didn’t venture out of the yard, and played in the pool they had there. Dad blew up a rubber boat we had brought along, and the younger kids had a blast with it. The older ones played a kind of water polo with a tennis ball, and over-turned chairs for goals.

We had a lunch of chicken, and the extra-thick tortillas they have in El Salvador (the further South you get, the thicker the tortillas). Afterwards, a few of us took a little siesta in the hammocks we’d hung up in the little palm-frawn shaded area.

After playing a little more in the water, we had a Bible reading, and headed back for San Salvador. Before we’d left, the sister we were staying with bought some crabs.
It was amazing the way they had each been tied individually so they could not grab anything with their claws, while they were all tied together, back to back. The next day they were scrubbed with a brush, and put in the pot.
After we’d gotten home, a few of us went out in the street to play with the volleyball, a bunch of other kids were out there too, and when invited, played a little with us. But, it was obvious they weren’t really too accustomed to that, and in turn, invited us to play baseball with them! Most of the kids were under twelve, but they could sure hit that big, hard, plastic ball far! We all had tons of fun, and were sweating buckets. We lost at least four balls from them getting hit so hard over the houses and into other people’s yards.

Sunday was boiling hot. Sitting in even the first meeting, sweat ran down everywhere. The fan was set directly in front of the seats we were sitting in, but faced the other way. After breaking of bread we had a Bible reading, lasting about an hour and a half. When we were finished, the cold coke they served us had never tasted better!
The rest of the day we spent visiting people in a nearby district. At each house we read a little bit, either where they wanted to read, or a place Dad, Lalo, or Juan chose.

After dropping off everyone who had come with us, we had a family night, eating pizza and some traditional food (since Mom is still trying to stay off gluten).

It was our last night with the family. Anna and I stayed up late talking with Yanira, the youngest daughter, before falling in to bed.

The next morning we got up around eight, and after eating pupusas (the thick El Salvadorian tortillas made with beans and cheese) and coffee, we said goodbye to the family.

It was less than three hours back to the Guatemala boarder, then another two getting to Guatemala City, where Martha and Patty live. Their family had also lived in the United States for a while, when I was really little. Their relatives still live there, in California.

Once again it was a little complicated because Dad hadn’t been here for like over 20 years, and Lalo hadn’t been here for some years too, but we finally arrived at the house.

We are leaving Guatemala tomorrow, and are heading for Oaxaca, then Mexico City. Apparently there is a pretty big deal about a pig flu or something, so we're not quite sure what's going to happen with that...