Mexico Travelogue - Day 9

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GRAMPA!  Day 9 was Fritz sr’s 67th birthday!  We’ll officially celebrate one day late because of scheduling priorities, but that’s okay.  This way I’ll have an extra day to figure out a gluten-free cake given the limited ingredients I happen to have on hand.  J

In the morning the Birthday Boy started work on a stepping-stone project that involved laying new pavers, and re-setting old ones, leading from the front of the house around to the laundry hut in back.

In the afternoon he and Fritz jr. took off to run a couple of errands and pursue the possibility of playing golf at a local golf course.  While they were gone, I checked in to see if I could help with preparations for the group of volunteers that will show up on Friday – the first homebuilders of 2016.  I learned 18 families have already been approved to receive new homes during the summer, and the total goal is around 22. Today the bathroom facilities for this first bunch of helpers (who will camp out in tents during their stay) were being cleaned - boys on one side of a block building, girls on the other. I lingered for a while to sweep the porch areas and help re-lay stones to form paths from each sink/toilet room to the corresponding shower.

After evening Vespers, Father Nick stopped to chat with us and explain the service since there had been no English translation.  I asked about a time when he lifted a tall holder with a long taper candle high above his head.  He said that solemn, celebratory moment honored Christ, “who illumines the world.”  Although simply stated, the image of total illumination was powerful!  We were among the last to leave the chapel, and I turned to take a quick snapshot of the soft glow of remaining candlelight.

Outside the sky was clear, and as we walked home a stark but friendly moon looked down like a giant white eyeball, brightening the otherwise obscure landscape. I couldn’t help but think about Father Nick’s candle, and the parallel as this moon also brightened the night back in Michigan...and the rest of the planet we call earth.

After dinner a thoughtful neighbor in the adjacent duplex stopped over to toast Fritz sr. on his birthday.  She brought fresh-picked strawberries and whizzed them in the blender with frozen pineapple and an agave liqueur for a refreshing, fun treat – a cheery way to end the day with birthday festivity!