Fishes and Loaves

This morning, we got up extra early, getting downstairs while the hotel staff was still turning on lights and brewing coffee.  We were supposed to have breakfast and be ready to go by 7:15, but the hotel doesn't start serving breakfast until 7:00.  We did pretty much make it, but Rafaelito didn't show up until about 7:45.  We were trying to make the 730 Eucharist at Church of the Epiphany, but we don't arrive until about 8.  We slip into some of the back pews as the celebrant is nearing the end of his sermon   We aren't the last ones in, though.  Others drift in after us.  Many of those present are older and poor, they are waiting for the food program which follows, but they readily participate in the church service.  I really don't know what the sermon was about except for witnessing for Christ - my Spanish gets better (relatively speaking), but not enough to understand that much all together.  Have I mentioned that when these people exchange the peace, they REALLY exchange the peace.  And they sing while they do it.  Joyfully.  There's a concept.  They really mean it.   We have communion and when the service is over, we go outside to the courtyard between the cathedral and the school.  This is where the food program will take place.


There are stone or concrete benchs which line either side of the brick courtyard, with thankfully trees for shade.  In the middle are two iron tables that were painted kind of brick red a long time ago.  Fifty or more people are seated on the benches or standing around in the courtyard or sitting on the ground.  There are five or six folks from the church, including Ellen, who are in charge of the program.  Every Tuesday, they feed whoever shows up until they run out of food, and then, they have a list of forty folks for whom they provide a small bag of staples, the content of which changes a little week by week.  Today, it was spaghetti, sardines, 2 lbs of beans, 2 lbs of rice, and a 4.5 oz of oil, and vitamins.  The food they serve is oatmeal with spices, fry bread, soda and a juice made from some kind of root known as yugo or something like that.  That was my part, to pour the yugo into their cups.  Ellen said there were more people today than ever before.  They still had plenty of food and just a little left over.  Fishes and loaves.  Fishes and loaves.


As we were finishing serving up the food, a couple of ladies and a man began handing out the food.  There are limited resources, so only forty people can be helped and there's a waiting list.  Basically, someone has to die in order to move up on the list.  Each of the forty not only is on the list, but Julius has photographed them and each picture is on the bulletin board as you enter the cathedral so you can know them by name.  As things were winding down, one lady burst out in song.  Despite her advanced years, she has a pretty good voice.  Not to be outdone, another lady also then sings.  Tar says that last week, they were dancing.  Such joy. 


We say goodbye to Bob and Ellen here, and thank Bob for all his stories.  We also say goodbye to Fred who is leaving separately from us to head to Puerto Rico for a week.  So now we are seven, plus Rafaelito.  We head back to the hotel to check out.  It takes a bit, but when we are finally all back in the van with our stuff, we head to the Botanical Garden.  It's a big garden.  We take the train ride around the Garden.  It's pretty neat.  There's a ravine with a neat creek running through it.  I wonder about alligators or crocodiles.  There are some interesting birds, including a fluffly white one, probably some kind of heron.  We get out to walk through the Japanese Garden complete with a large orange torii, or entry gate.  It's so peaceful and graceful. 


On the way, at a suggestion from Savannah (and maybe because he likes it, too), Rafaelito suddenly pulls into a Bon, which is a chain that sells frozen yogurt and ice cream.  Savannah has a bit of a misunderstanding with them about flavors - they insist that the bubble gum and dolce leche flavors they gave her are really strawberry and vanilla.  We get some ice cream for Rafaelito, too.  Then, finally, i