After a good night's sleep in comfortable beds in a quiet hotel in Antigua, we are preparing to return home. I am think ing of the children of San Gabriel who were practicing their English with us. They loved to say "Good Morning" and "Good Night." One little boy counted, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." He smiled with glee at our approval. His friend quickly added, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, ELEVEN!" And Nick and I laughed right outloud. They are so delightful.
With tears in her eyes, Lia had shared that she had asked several of the young girls during the week what they would like to be when they grow up. Some wanted to be teachers or to study science or other things. They all had dreams. It broke her heart that many would never have the opportunity to study beyond sixth grade. And so as we walk with the people we serve, although we cannot change many things, we can be aware and care. Before we left the parish of San Lucas, Fr. Jim from New York led us in praying and remembering the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who was killed during the troubles in which more than 75,000 lost their lives.. Romero was a timid, "by the book" clergyman who was considered to be a safe appointment. He was transformed through the influence of a friend of his who was working with the people and seeing their struggles and the injustice. Romero took to the airwaves in his weekly radio broadcasts and spoke the message of the true Christianity with vigor and conviction. He foretold that he would probably be killed but said that his voice would live among the people. And it continues to. The movie, "Romero" starring Raul Julia is excellent. You can find it on Netlix. There are also several books available with Romero's writings. One I like is "The Violence of Love." We enjoyed a nice meal at a beautiful former monastery last night.. It was 450 years old. The hanging orchids, lighted candles and old stones made for an extraordinary setting. Our team shared stories, talked about books and families and shared laughter and smiles. We have been so blessed and are so grateful. I had better take a shower and may write one more post before the airport. I have a few more thoughts swirling around in my head. Thanks for following us.
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April 2010
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