I spent the day with my pastora. She is so special to me. I have been so blessed by her love and her gentle spirit. She has allowed me to come into her home about once a week and help as her and her daughter-in-law bake bread.
Today I thought I was going there to bake bread but she had other plans for me. When I first arrived, she had me cracking open cocos with a rock. It was much easier this time. The last time she had me doing this, the palm of my hand was bruised for days.
When I finished with that, she gave me a bucket of apples to peel. The pastor and their son spend the morning peeling and slicing fresh fruit. Then they make a syrup and add to it. The pastor carries the fruit salad in a cooler on the back of his moto. He drives around town selling it for about 30 cents a cup.
After I finished peeling all the apples, the pastora gave me everything I needed for mate. As I sat at the table drinking mate, she decided she wanted me to paint. She gave me these big seed things that come off a tree here, along with a few colors of paint. I thought I was painting them for her but she ended up sending them home with me. I’m giving two of them away. But there’s one I really love that I painted a tree on. I’m going to try my best to bring it back home with me.
Then she served me lunch….an amazing soup with rice, egg, vegetables, and some kind of meat. Yes, meat. Yes, I ate it. I have eaten it a few times at her house. The first time it was because I didn’t know how to turn it down and explain why I couldn’t eat it. The other times I’ve eaten it because I knew it would taste amazing. But it definitely doesn’t come without consequences.
After lunch, she showed me to my room. Each time I’m there, she prepares a room for my rest after lunch. The after lunch nap is something I do want to continue when I get home, the eating meat is not. I slept late today and didn’t think I needed to sleep after lunch. But I thought I’d rest anyway. Before I laid down on the bed, she sprayed lavender over the bed. Within minutes, I was sound asleep. Before falling asleep, I laid there thinking about my mama (my mom’s mother). I could hear the pet bird chirping, hear the tv on and smell the bread baking. I almost forgot where I was and how old I was. For a minute I thought I was lying in my mama’s bed. I thought I would get up, go in the kitchen, hug my mama and talk to her. I was almost in tears. Then I woke up and had to remember I was not in my mama’s bed and I could not go give her a hug. But I felt her near me. I felt her loving me.
After I got up from my rest, I went in the kitchen, where there was a cup of fresh fruit salad waiting on me. As a pan of fresh baked bread came out of the oven, she gave me a steaming hot loaf. It was delicious!
We watched some of the fútbol game together. Then she turned into my Granny for a little while as we played Phase 10 and she beat me by 50 points.
It makes me very sad to think that I have to leave her in only 2 weeks. Today was a day I will never forget. God knows when we need a day with abuela (grandmother). He knows when to satisfy our souls with a love that can only come from a grandmother. And no matter where we are in the world, He will do just that!
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