Couples Event

View from the site of the event - this is Playa Langosta

Our friends, Carlos and Rosario, from Christ for the City arrived on Friday at noon. They brought with them a young man, Brandon, who is an MK and full-time MAF. He came to help with our computer lab. We had lunch at the new beach club because we wanted them to see it. It is just a beautiful spot. After they got settled here, Carlos and Rosario took Brandon to the computer lab. When they arrived, the sewing class was having a graduation party. They were impressed by the quality of clothes that they learned to make. One lady even made a pair of pants for her husband. Brandon went to work on the computers while the ladies celebrated their achievements.

Everybody came back to our place, Carlos, Rosario, Brandon and the two Christ for the City staff. Our friend, Irene, offered to make chicken and rice for all of us for Friday dinner, since I was busy getting the lasagna and cakes ready for Saturday night. It was great chicken and rice, local style. They all spent the night. Saturday morning after breakfast they all went to the beach, except for me. I had too many things to get ready, namely, lunch. I had not planned for five for lunch on Saturday, and I was scrambling for something. You just don't go down to the grocery store for emergency purchases here. I had some thin steaks and made fajitas with homemade salsa and homemade guacamole. Just had enough for everybody. The girls and Brandon went back to Christ for the City's house in town after lunch. At two o'clock we went to the site of the event to take most of the supplies, except for the food. We wanted to see what the kitchen looked like. Our friend, Luis, who works here, came over with keys, two long tables, chairs and tablecloths, all provided for free. He helped us so much, and it was his day off. Rosario and I decided that the kitchen was adequate enough for us to go home, change and bring all the food to finish preparing it there. We went up and back in thirty minutes. Our place is very close to where the event took place. All inside the hacienda.

We tried to make the setting pretty and romantic

Some of the couples attending the event

Everything was ready when the minibus arrived with the first group. We wanted to take advantage of the beautiful setting to take pictures of the couples. It turned out to be a great icebreaker because the couples were a little timid when they got there, but they had a lot of fun posing for the pictures. There was some miscommunication between one couple in the second group, and they did not arrive until six. I had to keep the bread and the lasagna warm for an extra hour. But the minibus finally came back; everybody got pictures, and we had dinner. They loved the lasagna! Since we ended up with only ten couples, there was plenty of lasagna for seconds, and they took advantage of that!

Rosario made the salad, and I made the lasagna

Rosario talking to the couples

Carlos and Rosario gave great presentations about the Christian principles of marriage. We even had a fun activity. The women went away and took off the earring, kept one hidden, and we put all the earrings together on a table. The men were supposed to pick their wives' earring. All the men got it right! After that, we had dessert, chocolate cake and ice cream. Then John and I shared. Soon the minivan was back, and it was time to say good-bye. What difference! The timid couples were very demonstrative and happy. Randall, Arleth, and Luis stayed behind and helped us clean up. We again came home exhausted, but happy. Brandon was there waiting for us. He found out what was wrong with the two computers that weren't working. One of them had a wasp nest inside the CPU!

Worshiping in our local church

Pastor Alejandro

Sunday we went to church. Two of the couples at the event attend church. They said that everybody was very happy on the ride back. They want to have more events like that one. We are already planning what we are going to do in May when we return. After church, we were invited to go to one of the members house for a good-bye lunch, since today was our last Sunday here. We had "gallina rellena." This was something new for us. It was delicious. We ate outside, under the shade of some trees. After lunch, Carlos, Rosario and Brandon drove to the capital. We stayed a little longer, but we finally had to say good-bye to these dear people.

Gallina rellena with hard boiled eggs and potatoes

The lunch table - Pastor Alejandro and his wife on the foreground

We went home Sunday afternoon, rested and tried to watch some football, but we had to go out again fro dinner with Randall, Arleth and their little boy. John needed to get gas anyway, so we went passed the gas station to a new restaurant. The food was good, but the music was blaring, there were some American young men who had a little too much to drink, and I don't think Randall enjoyed the evening. He was concerned about the three young men. We got back home at around ten o'clock.

This is all for now...just a few days left...at the beach...