So I‘ve just come back in from a walk around the Parish and a few home visits with Communion. It is mud everywhere. Now that would be bad enough because the roads are all cut up and swept away; with no drainage the rain cuts through the weakest part of the street. But there is another problem – the people here don’t have running water in their houses and rely on water tanks to bring them fresh water. During the rainy season, it is impossible for the trucks to get anywhere near many houses and so the people gather the rain water that falls of the roof. This they use for washing themselves, washing their clothes and their houses. It is for me a further indignity in an impoverished life. What makes it even worse is the cost of the water: the people that live on the other side of the city’s perimeter road have running water from the city supply and the same amount of water ( a barrel ) costs them 7 cents (3 pence in Scotland) whereas it costs the people here 70 cents (ten times as much)! Some random thoughts ….
This week I have been very busy getting ready for bursting onto the Guayaquil radio scene. In a moment of weakness I agreed to do a programme on the Pope’s recent encyclical letter on ‘Hope’. Not only had I not yet read the letter but I had forgotten to ask how long I would have to speak. I was shocked to find that the programme and my slot was AN HOUR!!! So I have been busy reading, revising and preparing myself fro my hour on Friday. As yet I don’t know if it’s live – I hope it’s recorded! But in any case, my ‘hour’ is going to be made easier by having Gloria, Adela, Freddy and Tito with me – I will ask interview them on ‘hope’ as well as get them to join in the prayers I will lead
The rain has been causing havoc to the building work – at least to the football pitch. Every afternoon it has rained heavily so the work has to be suspended to let the worst pass. Then they start again. One embarrassing moment occurred when I took Oso down for a walk – as he got near the work, he broke free and ran all over the wet cement – I got a lot of dirty looks. And needless to say Oso has not been back. The school continues to progress and now they are going to add a further set of toilets as well as move the Soup Kitchen to a better location in the school.
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday so I was out and about all day doing the needful. In the morning two chapels were busy enough but at night time the three chapels where I had services were full to capacity – even the Parish Church. I reckon we had around 700 there. At each location I had a few ministers to help me and we still managed to have a faith-filled experience. Some despair that so many people only turn up at Church on such days but my take on it is that, if they are only here today, then let’s give them the best experience of God
We are getting every excited about the Scotland trip – only nine days left. So Sunday was dance rehearsal day and finish off eth videos. At a few locations in Scotland we will present a few traditional Ecuadorian dances – even yours truly is joining in (really only to balance up the numbers). And the video hopefully will give a good image of what living in Nueva Prosperina is like as well as introduce our young people.
Saturday was our second First Communion Day. These were the kids (nine of them) that were doing extra classes with me in January to catch up on what had been lost. Obviously it was a much quieter affair from the December First Communion (when there were 180) but it meant that we perhaps had a more intimate feeling to it all. By eth smiles at the end they enjoyed themselves.
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