I realize that my photo of the week is a few days late. The best I can say is that time moves differently here. Just imagine I did this a few days ago!
I was so happy to be back ministering with the Santa Clara Nutrition Clinic! We spent a few days walking through a new neighborhood and found many new families who could use the help of the center. We also distributed essentials to some families on a different day. On Thursday, we spent the morning with a single mom, preparing "Fideos con Pollo y Verduras" (Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables).
There was a while that I thought Sister Yanira was saying "Videos" instead of "Fideos" and busied myself taking videos of vegetables but I realized about half way through that there was a food word that was close to the word video. Great laughter and hilatrity ensued, especially when I recounted my error in broken Spanish at lunch with the sisters. Poco a poco!
In addition to the mom, a few other moms in the neighborhood came over and we all worked together cutting vegetables and chicken, cooking the pasta and then bringing it all together. Sister Yanira took the lead and everyone pitched in.
This little girl sat patiently on a bench, watching intently as everything was prepared. As other children got bored and wandered away, she stayed close.
When it was time to eat, I gave her the first bowl, a gift for her patience. Besides, it could have just been my imagination, or perhaps a motherly intuition, that caused me to think that she looked really hungry.
Everyone gobbled up the delicious dish (including myself, it was really delicious!) and as we left, the young girl left too, returning to her home. The whole time, I had assumed that she was with one of the women, but it turns out she was on her own. The generous women who were preparing the food didn't give two thoughts to including her in the day. I spent a few minutes marveling at that silent inclusion.
On our way home, we stopped by a well where boys were pulling water out, filling 5-gallon buckets and carrying them back to their homes. We were fortunate to meet this girl's abuela (grandmother) who is caring for her. Sister Yanira let her know all about the clinic and how we can help their family.
The gifts I receive here are so rich and full of blessings. Being a part of the clinic and the community - who is so accepting and welcoming to me, a lot like the little girl in this photo - is such a bountiful gift to me spiritually. Gracias a Dios!
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