A cultural experience

We had a totally different experience last night, one that we had not expected. We were told that the father of one of the ladies whom we know in town had passed away. When we expressed the desire to visit her to express our sympathies, it was strongly recommended that we do it last night because it was the last night of the rosaries. I really did not want to go to a rosary, but John got the message again that it was important to go last night, so we went, after a time of prayer.

When we arrived, it was still daylight, and there were about twenty adults, mainly women doing the rosary. I haven't been to a rosary in about 35 years. The small living room was full of people. There was a small altar on one side of the room. I think it had the image of the virgen Mary. The near relatives were holding candles, and the rest of the people were crowding at the door. We sat outside and waited for them to finish praying. It was rainning when we arrived, but it soon stopped, and we were under an overhang anyway. We met some of the kids who come to our events and our English Club. They were happy to see us. As we sat there listening to the prayers, the boys next to us were telling jokes, the equivalent of knock-knock jokes. We were both thinking about the asssurance that we have of our salvation. What a difference to know that we will go the Heaven when we died! That Jesus died once for our sins! (1 Peter 3:18). It was soon dark, and the mosquitos came. I had mosquito repellent on, but John had forgotten to spray before we left. They ate him alive! I have never seen such welts! The poor guy endured the whole thing until it was over, about an hour. As people turned around and started to leave, they saw that we were there. Everybody was glad to see us. Then we had a chance to pay our respects to our friend and her mother. It really meant a lot to them that we had come. It was the appropiate thing to do.

Our friend Randall had to walk us out with a flash light to our car because it was pitch black by the time we left, and we almost got stuck in the mud, but praise the Lord that we have 4-wheel drive. We were actually glad to be out of there, but our hearts remain with this dear, loving people. Please pray that the light of the Gospel can penetrate the darkness in their hearts.