Thursday night, January 13...this was the warmest weather day yet. Yesterday was overcast most of the day, and while we still considered it fairly warm (about 72 degrees, I think), the locals had on long pants, tennis shoes, and jackets. Some were actually shivering!
Have I mentioned the food yet? Well, let me put it this way: I can hear my spin bike calling my name! Everything has been Delicious.
Today's highlight was going to a "kitchen" that the church runs. It is in an extremely poor district of San Jose, and I'm talking POOR. They prepare a meal (dinner) three times a week for neighborhood children, usually around 30-50 kids and about 10 adults. We arrived about an hour early to help prepare the food, which included a trip to the grocery store. Guess the number of people who showed up? Well...Sheila counted at least 125, not including the staff of about eight that were helping! We were worried about having enough food, but it stretched even to include seconds, and there were leftovers. Ray and I handed out candy (per Pastor Luis' request) to all of the kids. Ray and I each had a bag, the kids lined up, and kind, generous Ray kept running out so Eliana kept having to replenish him! And again, there was enough...thank heaven.
A small local church next to the outdoor eating area began its mid-week service just as we were finishing the cleaning-up part, so the four of us quietly went in to enjoy the worship lead by a young man playing a keyboard. Yesterday I began to pray for God to "stretch me, ruin me, heal me," and as I stepped into the humble little building for that evening service, the "ruining" began. As I watched some of the poorest people on earth raising their hands and praising God on a Thursday night in a full church, I wondered how I measured up to their faith.