Back from the capital

We are back at the beach! It was a great trip. We stayed in a beautiful old hotel built in 1930. It had an old European hotel atmosphere. Most of the time, we were visiting different ministries that Christ for the City supports here, but we had the chance to do some site-seeing; for example, we visited this volcano. It was very cold, windy and rainy, but we enjoyed ourselves. It was hard to see the crater, but we managed a peek between clouds. Here is a picture of the crater. It is the green lake in the middle. Afterward, we came down the mountain and had lunch in a beautiful rustic restaurant. The food was excellent, and they had three fireplaces, which we appreciated. We warmed up by the fire and drank good, dark coffee. People sometimes ask us what the local food is like. Here are some pictures of our lunches.



Here is the typical "casado," which is rice, black beans, meat or chicken, ripe banana, a salad and a tortilla.



We also had chicken and rice, which is different here from the way we prepare it in Cuba.

Finally, this is a soup that they call "olla de carne." It has a lot of vegetales and meat, very satisfying in a cold, rainy day.

As far as the different ministries visited, we went to a free clinic with a staff of two doctors, a nurse and a receptionist in a very tough neighborhood. A little farther down the street there is also a school for girls who need to finish elementary school. They pay a nominal fee and take accelerated courses. These girls could not attend public school for various reasons. They take the goverment administered tests at the end of the terms and get their 6th grade diplomas. This allows them to further their education or learn job skills. This program is run by a psychologist from Ecuador. There is also sports facilities. Soccer is the main sport here. The staff has big dreams. They want to build a cafeteria because most children in this neigborhood do not get a good meal everyday. They even want to build a swimming pool to teach them how to swim.
On our way back from the volcano we visited a school for girls who have been rescued from the streets. This is a year program. The school is high up in the mountains surrounded by tall pine trees. Here the girls also finish their education and learn skills, such as cooking and sewing, that will help them when they leave. This particular ministry is supported 99% by national donations. The girls half self-steem classes and group therapy. There is a psychologist and a social worker on staff. All of these programs emphasize a personal relation with Christ as basis for a transformed and renewed life.

We flew back this morning. We are going to rest this afternoon and go out to dinner with friends.