Thankfulness Abounding

From Left to Right: Patti, Claudia, Marcos, Jessie, Tara.
In the foreground is Tonio and Father's arm.

Left to Right: Emma (missionary), Chelo, Tara (missionary),
Lucy Sr, Lupita, Father Salvatore, Tonio, and in the forground
Daphne.

There is so much to be thankful for.  This was drawn home to me yesterday as we were Emma, Tara, and I were gathered around the parish kitchen table, as we so often are.  It was a normal post-one o'clock mass meal, but it is special, because it feels like family.  We are family down here.  So many of the faces are faces that I see or share a meal with almost every day.  Sitting around the table, there are grandmothers/grandfathers, teenagers, mothers, daughters/sons, and us as missionaries.  There is warm fellowship, and a welcoming atmosphere that beckons table-sharing. One night over a meal (dinner time at the parish is 8:30/10 at night), while watching two people playfully bantering with each other, I realized that we even have the occasional sister and brotherly bickering as well.
     Some of my new "family" down here:
 Father Salvatore (at left standing up in black)
Tonio - a guy with great heart that Father gave a place to live behind our parish house.  He helps with things at the parish throughout the day and is always at table with us.

Jessie - former missionary with our program that stayed on after meeting Marcos, whom she has been dating for two years. She works as an English teacher at one of the area schools up the hill.


Marcos - an amazing painter (mainly murals) that painted quite a few scenes at the parish and many murals around town.

Lucy, Chelo, Carmalita, Sol, and many more - all help out at the parish and are very active.
The teens - very active go-getters!

Gallo - I do not know his real name, but he goes by Gallo (rooster).  He lives on the parish grounds and is the main groundskeeper.

and

David y Oscar - The "Caboobie brothers" (named after a cross-eyed cartoon camel).  They work in the tianges (open air market that changes location depending on the day of the week) during the morning at times, but also help out with various odds and ends at the parish throughout the day.