Lorenzo, Carlos, Junior, Alejandra, Kristofer, Erika, Marjory, Samuel, Isa and Jired

Today was our women's group.  We are thinking that because of the party on Friday, and the fact that 90% of the people I know either have Dengue, Chikungunya, or a nasty cold, the turnout today was not what we expected.  It was basically my closest friends and Molly's closest friend.  However, I am sure they will turn up for the Mother's Day Celebration on Friday.  People come out of the woodwork if they think there will be free stuff.  And we have some good free stuff!

I was fine with the low turnout today.  It was not discouraging to me at all.  Partly because I have this cold that everyone else has and I know I might have chosen to stay home and rest if I were them.  But more than that, I know this is all in God's hands.  He is not going to send us to sit in an empty building when there is so much need in Los Pinos.  For some reason I believe He wanted us to meet with only those specific ladies today.

Ana is not able to cook at the church because her bones are so achy.  Also, Isa is still sick and Samuel, who was the last healthy person in the family, got a fever last night.  He ended up puking in the middle of our bible study.  Poor guy was not full of his usual vim and vigor.  This bug that is going around doesn't respond to fever meds at all.  Everyone has a fever that won't subside for days.  Erika said that her whole body felt itchy.  I don't know what that means.  I considered buying an antihistamine, but didn't because she is breast feeding.  We talked about going to see Dr. Gustavo after we ate, but she said she didn't need to.  Her eyes were super droopy.  I offered to take her home early, but she chose to go to McDonalds (for her first time ever!) instead.  Her baby, Marjory, has now tried Pizza Hut, Wendy's and McDonalds.  I do believe McDonalds is her favorite, as well as her mother's.  Marjory LOVES french fries and her eyes lit up each time she bit into her mom's Big Mac.  I feel horrible for taking them to these disgusting fast food places.  Normally I literally never eat fast food.  But it is inexpensive and safe, so that is where we go.  Burger King is next, unless Erika decides she is addicted to Big Macs.  She told me in Spanish that her Big Mac was "more than good".

As I was dropping off  Erika she said, "There are my brothers."  They were all coming down the hill, so I stopped.  First they all asked for Erika and Marjory.  My windows are so dark, they couldn't see them in the back seat.  I rolled down the window and they all started cooing at Marjory.  They each love her so much!  It was adorable.

Carlos said to me, "I have a clean shirt on!"  I didn't understand what that meant until later when I realized it was his way of saying that he was ready to go out to eat with me again.  Hahaha!  They all looked happy and healthy, and clean too - as Carlos pointed out.  Last week Carlos had Dengue.  Now their parents have it.

Lorenzo said they were headed to get "sticks" which I learned means pieces of cut wood.  I assume they were using it to cook dinner.  The person selling wood was only a few feet away and in the direction that I go to turn around, so I asked if they wanted a ride and they all piled into my car.

As we turned around a man who knew them said. "Oh wow!  Look at them riding in style!"  The boys were thrilled.  Lorenzo directed me to exactly where he wanted me to stop and I waited while they got their wood, then they piled back in car.  I was going to drop them off at the corner, but we were having so much fun riding in the car (sometimes it's the simplest things!) I asked Erika if it was safe for me to drive them farther up.  She said yes.  The road is all paved and well kept.  I drove up to the corner by their house with all of the kids in the back seat.  They loved it.

As we got to where the road comes closest to their house, their dad was out there waiting.  I told him, jokingly, that I picked up three boys on the street, then rolled down the window so he could see them all in the car, each with their piece of wood.  He laughed and grabbed Marjory out of Erika's arms like he couldn't wait to hold her.  He was clearly happy to see Marjory.  She is very well loved in that family.

It is great to see that, although Erika had a baby so young, her family is supportive and not critical.  They all clearly love Marjory a ton.

Erika pointed out their house, which was down a steep hill and up on the other side of the mountain.  It was pieces of metal roofing for walls.  She kept describing it as the "painted" one, so I thought for a minute it was a nicer home above.  Turned out the paint she was talking about was one wall that was half painted orange.  It is a tiny house for 3 rambunctious boys, two teenaged girls, Mom, Dad, and baby Marjory.  I don't even know how they would all fit to lie down in there.  Some day I will take a photo.  It ranks up there with the poorest houses I have ever seen.

The walls were made of this

On the way back down I ran into Alejandra again.  Seems like that girl is always out and about. She is very hyper, so I imagine it would be hard for her to stay at home.  I worry about her.  I gave her a photo I have been carrying with me since last October of her brother Kristofer.  She said he was right down the hill and pointed to where he was sitting at a neighbor's house.  So I drove down to the main road and stopped to talk to him for a while.

I can't remember the last time I saw him.  It's been since at least October.  He looked fine.  He said he doesn't go to the church any more because only 15 or 16 kids go these days.  I assured him that there are about 60, but he was clearly not interested.  He was hanging out with nice, well behaved, older boy, so I took that as a good sign.  I asked where he is eating and he said he eats at home.  At least he is being fed.