February 2, 2017 - Dinner and Lunch with Friends

February 2, 2017

Dinner and Lunch with Friends

My first two months of being in Bolivia in July and August of 2016, were blessed with some good dinners and lunches with old friends.  Where do I start? 

Well there is Tim and Ceci Ramsey.  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, Tim explained; usually it is stepping out in Faith to use the gifts God has given you.

One 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 in Bolivia.  It is kinda like cracker jacks. 

My former student, Sandra, and her sister, Andrea, took me out for lunch three times in my first few week in Bolivia, 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.  After Andrea took a teaching job in Dubai, Sandra continued to invite me to lunch or dinner.  I love that a former student can become a friend.

Carlos, another former student, and his boys had me over for lunch one Sunday for a good pot roast, though Mateo, his 2nd grader, only ate ham and corn pizza.  Then we played chess and card games for a few hours.  It felt like I was welcomed back into the family I had grown to love when I was in Bolivia in the 80s.

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 also forgot how gentle and godly Mr. and Mrs. Mitsumori were.  When I was here so long ago, they often invited me to their house on a Saturday afternoon to play games and enjoy a well-prepared Japanese meal.

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 specially to thank God for putting these people in my life and returning them to my life recently.

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