Day 54 - Dinner and Lunch with Friends

Dinner and Lunch with Friends

Over the last seven weeks that I have been here, friends that I made decades ago have blessed me with a good meal.  I wrote about how long a meal can take when you are out with friends here.  At home, an hour you are done.  Here, two or three hours. 

Today I had lunch with the Tim and Ceci.  They were in South America Mission with me in the 80s.  Ceci and I discovered on the day we met that we are twins (though a few days apart).  We shared so many memories!  It was good to be around Americans who love Bolivia so much.  And they encouraged me about knowing God’s will.  Rarely is it hearing a voice; usually it is stepping out in what gifts God has given you.

Last night I went to the movies with my Bolivian pastor’s family.  Percy is Bolivian and doesn’t have a lot of English.  I tried to speak more Spanish and not depend on Debbie, his wife and the valedictorian of the SCCLC my last year here in the 80s.  We saw Ben Hur.  BTW, they serve sweet popcorn here.  It is kinda like cracker jacks.  This is the second meal with them and their kids, one of whom I’ll be teaching in a few days.

Sandra and her sister, Andrea, have taken me out for lunch three times since I’ve arrived, for Mexican, Chinese, and American burgers.  They have been very helpful guiding me to stores to buy things I needed and making sure I have everything I need.

Carlos and his boys had me over for lunch one Sunday for a good pot roast, though Mateo, the 2^nd grader, only ate ham and corn pizza.  Then we played chess and card games for a few hours.

The Mitsumoris, missionaries from Japan to the Japanese community here in Bolivia, invited me over for Sushi when I first arrived.  I was nervous because I can be allergic to fish.  I am beginning to think it is how fresh the fish is and how it is prepared.  I had zero allergic reaction.  I forgot how gentle and godly Mr. and Mrs. Mitsumori are.

One evening there was a comfortable and homey dinner with Jimena and her husband, who is from Mexico.  She has a boy in college and two very little ones.  Over a dinner of home-made spaghetti, we talked mostly about politics.

I am probably forgetting someone – my 58-year-old mind.  Mostly I just wanted to say thank you to all these people and especially to thank God for putting these people in my life and returning them to my life recently.