Lunch with New Friends

We were recently invited to lunch at a friend’s house in order to celebrate a fellow family member’s birthday with them.  This was my first time to sit down to a meal in a Kekchi home.  It was a good experience and we felt very honored to be there.  We were invited so that Cohen could pray for Ofelia.  She was the one having the birthday.  We met her for the first time at the party.

Ofelia’s mother, Santa, asked us to pray for her because she isn’t in Church regularly and she is concerned for her.  A few of us gathered around to pray for her just before left.  After Cohen’s prayer, Ofelia had tears in her eyes.  I pray that the Lord will be working in her life to draw her to Him.

Here is Ofelia pictured with her mother, Santa, on the right.  The lady on the left is Santa’s pastor’s wife, but I can’t remember her name.  I think she only spoke Kekchi as that is all I heard her speak.

Here is a picture of them working to make 50 tamales for a Church get together later that afternoon.  And, another picture of some that they had already made.  They rap them inside of a leaf and then cook them on the fire.

As far as our meal goes, I didn’t get any pictures as I didn’t want to play the part of the “tourist”, but it was delicious!  Their traditional meal is called Caldo.  It is a yummy chicken soup with onions, culantro, potatoes and chicken still on the bone.  Usually served with rice and hot corn tortillas.  As it is customary to eat without a spoon, the tortilla serves as your eating utensil and your napkin. Cohen and I cheated a bit and did use a spoon :-) I can’t imagine what kind of mess I would have made just using my tortilla!  I will have to practice that a bit more before I forgo the spoon.

Our children had a great time chasing little chicks through the house and playing with the other children.  Iva just about cried when we had to leave her new little chicken friends behind.  She wanted to take one of them home so badly.

Here are some other cute pics that we got while we were there . . .

It wasn’t until we got home that I realized that I didn’t get any pictures of the boys.  I will have to do better next time.  It was a good visit and I am thankful and honored that they invited us.