Welcome to a foreign language. You know the emotion, you know the intent, heck, you may even sabe palabras, but you don't have it all. People will stare you straight in the face and ask you a pregunta with a smile on their cara. You catch maybe two words (hopefully more than your name). For all I know someone could pull a trick on me and be speaking baby babble. I wouldn't know the difference. But, you stop, you try, you fail, you try again, you fail miserably because you thought you had learned something which gave you more confidence than skill, you stop, you try... And then, hopefully at some point, you develop a compassion for anyone who visits you, regardless of circumstance, who can't speak your language. Whether it be English, Spanish, the language of church, or college intelligence. Because one day you will be humbled.
The sun came up early this morning and I awoke at 6 feeling rested. But, church didn't meet until 9:30, so back to sleep until 8:15. At breakfast we had some weak coffee that got crunchy at the bottom. After church, we had coffee mediano. Before lunch, we had coffee that resembled motor oil that hadn't been changed for 6000 miles. Thick, black, fuerte. Yeah, there's no cream and sugar doesn't quite cut the bite on it's own. Oh, and then after lunch I had fresh squeezed orange juice, then after we took Communion to a lady I had another glass of orange juice. About that time I realized I had not visited un bano lately. So, to punish my lack of planning I was subjected 45 minutos of a bumpy (understatement) dirt road that caused my seatbelt to grow ever tighter on my bladder. I realize I have a bladder like a camel's hump but come on! Despite where you thought this was going I made it back to the hotel room with time to spare.
I'll write about the churches tomorrow
namaste/ vaya con Dios
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