Flying on planes, walking on water II

Just realized that we went to the Shrine Thursday--right before we went to the laundromat. Oh, well. And someone has moved all my cheat notes. Let me see what else I can remember.

Wednesday started with VBS, then we went to the lighthouse at Cabo Jobo, I believe it was. We stood on the cliffs and saw where the Tainas through their virgins off in sacrifice. In spite of its sordid history, the place was BEAUTIFUL. The rocky cliffs, the blue Caribbean, the seals...everything was stunning. Then we went to a bay that was even more blue! Even though we weren't too thrilled about the waves--the bay had a little more personality than did the first--we still enjoyed it. Some of our kids went snorkling, and Emily got a conch shell to die for. (The smell nearly made us die before we left for home! How something so beautiful can stink so badly...)

Thursday started with the last day of VBS. We had about 18 kids that day. By that time we knew of at least three families who were interested in the church and we had fallen in love with all of the families. At the end, one of the grandmothers who speaks English (as does her granddaughter) passed out flowers to all of us ladies while they gave fruit baskets to the men. Being girls, we all cried; being guys, they all laughed at us crying. These people have very little, but they share themselves in such touching ways. We didn't want to go. Finding so much love among such a language barrier made us all remember that we are all one. What a great demonstration of "how great is the love the Father has lavished upon us."

Friday we spent a large part of the day in Camuy, where we went caving. They have a cave there that has water with organisms that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. I had to keep reminding myself that I was really in the rain forest and not in the zoo. It looked just like what we see in Cincy. When we returned, we went to another beach. This one had water so clear that you could see your feet wherever you went. It also had more rocky shores and crashing waves. It was enough to take your breath. It also had sea urchins, and this is where Katie got "bitten" by one. Nasty, but not dangerous.

Saturday took us to Yauco. Yauco is built up the side of a mountain. Here is where we met 52 degree slopes. One interesting thing about PR is that they have flags for each area--kind of like if our counties across the states decided to design their own flags. Yauco's flag was nearly at the top of the hill/mountain. (Their mountain, for the most part, aren't as big as the ones in Gatlinburg, so...) By the time we made it through narrow (and I DO mean "narrow;" one car at a time, at best) streets, we found we'd wound our way up the mountain and right underneath that flag. There, in a little house, we found Diana and her family. Diana has a wonderful husband, two soon-to-be adopted sons and two biological daughters--one of which Bart found interesting. (Funny story: she ended up crowded next to him in the back seat of John's car when we lost our way to Diana's house. Bart was in the back seat with two pretty PR girls and Heather, our minister's daughter, before we made it to Diana's. Made for a few cat-calls.) When we got there, Diana's older son attached himself to Bart and vice versa. Before we left, we were all wishing for lots more time there. Diana does a VBS-type deal at her house for the children of her neighborhood every week. Those kids plus her hospitality (I was introduced to pizza empanadillas--I'd had seafood earlier in the week--and cola champagne at Diana's) made her a hit. She gave us flower seeds from her flowers and whatever else we asked for. She had nothing, but she had everything. Brooklyn came through strongly in her English (in her Spanish to a degree, too), so I knew she had been out of the area for a while, at least.

We left Diana's to go to Ponce boardwalk. This place has vendors, little shops, games, a watch-tower, and--the big hit--HUGE fish that you can feed. Bart and several others finally got into the water and had a blast feeding the fish while the rest of us took in all the sights. Yet another beautiful place.

After we finished here, we went to John and Mary's for cooking from the States. We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, beets, peas, rolls, and ice cream. After a week of rice, pigs' feet, pinon, pasteles, rice, and more rice, that SURE hit the spot. (Can't complain much, though; I think I gained weight regardless.)

Sunday morning, we went to church in the school where we stayed. Some of the songs we could stumble through if we knew any Spanish because they were the same songs we sing here, but one of the songs I never had heard before is stuck in my head even as I write. After the service, we ate a carry-in meal. Yum! Ana--the one whom we had come to know well because of their hospitality--asked me, "Todos?" (Did I want to try it all?) Of COURSE I did. She piled it on and I nearly cleaned my plate of two kinds of rice, two kinds of macaroni, chicken, pork, and flan. After the meal, we went to the sea where we watched one of the men be baptized. Then we went bowling with the youth group in Aguadilla. During this trip is when John made Bart an unofficial job offer. Yes, I believe my kid has his sights set on mission work in Puerto Rico. I can't say I'm upset. The world is so much smaller now that Puerto Rico doesn't seem that much farther away than Nashville.

Monday started off with painting and cleaning, then it was off to another beach. This one was not quite as beautiful, but it was calm. Then it was off to the Don Quixote for mofongo! To be honest, none of us had looked forward to this meal. The thought of plantain bananas mixed with chicken just sounded sick. Most of the kids wouldn't try it, but those of us who did (Bart included) were PLEASANTLY surprised. I don't know how they do it (but I have the recipe so I will find out), but they take an unpleasant-sounding mix and turn it into something you will go to PR just to have if that is what it takes. YUMMY! We all wolfed it down.

Tuesday and Wednesday are next. Right now I have to go back to work. BAAH.