I´ve been busy here but haven´t quite gotten my act together to get it on the blog. I’ve been here five months and up to this time have pretty much been following orders and chauffeuring for the shelter. We now have someone else who is a designated driver so that frees me up. Recently Olga’s son was hospitalized and had been transferred to Mexico City. (I´m sure she and her family would appreciate any prayerful support.) She needs to give her full attention to her son so asked me to take charge of the Albergue. She said “take it and make decisions as if it were your own place. Don’t ask me about anything, just do it.” I´ve liked the increased confidence she has in me and the increased responsibilities. I´m also enjoying being in the shelter with the guests more.
A week ago I came down with salmenolosis. Miserable! I´m making a slow come back. I was just starting back half days after being out for 3 days.....then I got a call that the driver came down with the same thing I had had. He came to pick me up at the shelter. When I went out to the pick up to leave with him, he was already in the back seat slumped over. It hits like a ton of bricks. You are fine one minute and within 15 minutes you have absolutely NO energy. You just want to fall down. When I fell into bed, I wanted to just keep falling. I couldn’t go down far enough. It hits every system—head to toe. My second day in bed I got a home visit from the Dr. I woke up and he was in my room! I had refused to take antibiotics, thinking this was just a bug that would pass. He got me on an antibiotic and also gave me something for parasites. In a couple of days I should be good as new again. For now I am moving slowly (that is hard to do ). If I move fast or do any physical labor, I am totally out of energy and get an immediate headache that leaves soon after I sit down. I´m taking a nap every day.
This morning we got up at 4am to go to Cacahuatan, a little town up in the hills. The others were selling used clothes, beans, rice and pasta. I was mostly the driver and took a couple of naps while we were there for 6 hrs. I also walked around the market place and took lots of pictures. People really don’t like their pictures taken. I always ask permission, but it seems that many are afraid--"why does this woman want to take my picture?" I have been told that people are fearful of kidnapping and suspect someone with a camera. I have a couple of nice ones from the market place. One in particular that I like is a woman with flowers. There was another beautiful woman with a bunch of alcatraz flowers, (the kind in the Diego Rivera paintings) but she wouldn’t let me take her picture. I´ll just have to keep that one in my head as a memory.
Woman selling vegetables in the market place.
Woman selling flowers just outside of the mercado.
More flower sellers.
Man selling "macho" bananas.... they are usually served boiled or fried.
This woman is also beautiful with her alcatraz flowers.
I just got a web site address for the shelter where I´ve helped out in Arriaga. It´s great. It´s in English, Spanish and German. It really does a nice job of telling about the situation of the migrants in Southern Mexico. Check it out.
http://www.migrantearriaga.org.mx/index_english.html
Sorry I´ve been so long in posting or writing much. I´ll try to do better!
Blessings
Lillian
