Almost there...

Today we got to worship with our church family in La Palma. We got to see sweet faces that we haven't seen in several months and received a warm welcome.

After church Jose made a phone call for us and arranged for Romeo (or maybe Romero?) to come and get us at the hotel at 3:00 along with our big pieces of luggage. He would take us to our new house and then go get the bunk beds and wardrobes Mauricio had made for us. When it started to rain heavily at 2:00 we figured it wouldn't happen but he showed up at 3:15. We loaded the suitcases, covered them with plastic, and piled into the front of his truck. We unloaded the suitcases at the house and Monte and Nathan went with him to get the furniture. When they returned, they discovered that the wardrobes that had been made were a few inches too long to navigate the turn required to get them into the bedrooms. We attempted to discuss various options of cutting them down and reassembling them in the bedrooms but in the end decided that Mauricio would come back tomorrow when Jose could be there to help in the discussion. At that time he will also assemble the bunk beds.


So we are spending one more night at the Hotel La Palma. Here's a picture of what one end of our room looks like right now. There are actually 5 twin beds in this room. The end you can't see in the photo has the 5th bed and is where the pile of suitcases has been. The sign over the bed was from the staff of the hotel.

Tomorrow we will have breakfast and find someone to help us with a vehicle to get our carryon suitcases to the new house and begin the process of unpacking and arranging. In the process I have a great deal of shopping to do. I have to get the basics for the kitchen and pantry and we will hopefully have our first meal in our new home tomorrow night.

Isabel is coming on Tuesday to give me some lessons in how to do things the way they do in El Salvador. One of the main things I need to learn (don't laugh, please...okay, you can laugh) is how to cook beans. I know it's supposed to be simple but the kind you buy here are a bit different and I want to know how to cook them and how she cooks the rice. She puts some vegetables in it and makes it really good.

Tonight Jose and Norma were taking a group from church up the mountain to pay respects to someone who had died. It is a friend of a member from church and some of them had visted her when she was ill. They were to leave around 6:30 and it would be about an hour's walk to get there. Our family was just not up to that kind of walk yet, especially in the dark. It was still raining when they started out and was getting dark quickly. There were about 6 women and about 7 children going with them. I've been up the road they were going and it is not an easy path. I admire their dedication.

So by this time tomorrow night we hope to be in our new home. Thanks for your prayers.
Love, Lori