Bus blockade

Today I got caught in the middle of a...  Well, I don't know what you would call it.  Not a pep rally, it was more of a protest.  The goal was to encourage people to vote for a certain presidential candidate.  Hundreds and hundreds of buses were stopped in the street with posters plastered on them.  The buses were full of people who did not look very thrilled to be there.  I don't think they were really in on the campaign effort, but a few flew flags out the windows while they completely stopped all of the traffic in the city for the entire day.

Now for me, being held up in traffic and late for church does not encourage me to vote for the face on the poster on the bus in front of me.  I don't understand the mentality behind this form of "grandstanding".  It did not endear me to the candidate, but did cause me some frustration.  Until I realized that since I was not moving this was a perfect opportunity for me to take pictures of the spiked buses!

Check out these spikes.  Imagine this bus coming toward you on a narrow road.

Banners drooping more than flying

After I made it past everything on my side
I saw they had blocked the other direction too

On the sidewalks were teens walking around with a wooden dowel in each hand.  I never saw any violence, but I did contemplate going back home.  The strange thing was, the police had the exits blocked and forced us to go up the highway to the point where it was blocked in the other direction, so if you turned around you would get caught again on that side.  Made me wonder if the police were participating.  They were also pulling over taxi cabs and detaining them at check points.  People couldn't travel by bus (because the buses weren't moving) and it was hard to find a taxi.  Hmmmm...

Jairo is still supposed to be at home recuperating so Walter spoke at church today.  He was really great.  Everyone really likes it when he preaches.  He certainly has a gift.  What was especially cool for me is that I have been thinking a lot about two things this week and he addressed each of them.  I was actually thinking of setting up a time to meet with my landlord to talk to her about those things, but all I had to do was go to church.  I found my answers there.

After church I went out to lunch with my friend Raquel and her husband.  She was my first friend outside of the Breakfast Program.  She invited me to go to lunch with her last year in November for my birthday.  We hit it off right away.  She was unemployed and struggling to get pregnant.  I was struggling to make friends.  Now she is 4 months pregnant, has a great job, and I have some great friends!  God is so good to us!!