God's Moments ...

It seems there are lots of “God moments” in life – pieces of time that you happen to be where you are needed – and you are there not because you purposely went there – but perhaps a delay on the road made you late – but – it was a good thing you were late because you were able to give someone a lift.  Had you been on time, you would have not been able to help.  Or … on the ‘spur of the moment’ you decided to turn here rather than there …

This afternoon, it was the later … we went down to Alejandria to bring the pan dulce to be given to the folks who had been praying and had been in vigil for Elena.  Her 9^th day of death is tomorrow and the family is preparing tamales by the thousands (literally) to be given to the faithful attendees.  The Pastoral Team ladies (and their families) don’t just give the tamales to those that attend the 9^th day vigil (beginning at 8 p.m. with a mass and not ending till daybreak the next day).  They give the tamales to those who attended the first night vigil, those who attended the mass and interment.  Those who brought flowers … whoever participated received at least a dozen tamales. 

We didn’t stay long in Alejandria.  Cecilia and I had gone down with Misael and Sesi (Margarita’s children).  Margarita had spent the day with Blanca and Idalia and their families helping to make the tamales.  We dropped off the pan dulce, helped disburse tamales then packed up and left - bringing Margarita with us.  On the way back to Berlín, we made some tamale delivery stops.  We went up to Colonia El Jardín to deliver to an aunt.  We went down to Hacienda Nueva in Coyolar (both places not too far from the Pastoral House).  The road down to Hacienda Nueva is bad … very rocky.  But nothing that the truck in 4x4 mode cannot handle.  We delivered to 3 homes down there.  About 2/3 of the way down, we saw a bunch of boys – bike-riding, chatting, hanging out.  On the way back up Cecilia suggested a shortcut so we went a slightly different way back up. We ran into the boys again  They asked us to stop.  One of the boys had broken his arm.  They were hoping we would take him to town.  No doubt about it … his arm was bent between his elbow and wrist and the bone was bulging the skin.  We put him in the front seat and gave him a seat cushion to put on his lap to help cradle his arm. 

I was directed to take him to the Red Cross which is right between the high school and the Berlín Clinic.   I’m not sure why they didn’t take him to the clinic itself.  My guess is, they would not attend to him (past history).  The Red Cross folks could possibly get him to the hospital either in Santiago de María or San Miguel (they would decide).    

Had we not taken the shortcut on Cecilia’s whim, the boy would have had to walk about 2 miles …

The last thing I saw was Cecilia handing some cash to the brother who would stay with the young man.  He would have to pay the gas to cover the trip.  God bless Cecilia.