Our Vacation - Part 3 - Panajachel

...Sorry to leave you hanging.

The next morning, we woke up and toured Lake Atitlan all day. I'll share about that next time. When we returned to Panajachel, guess who was waiting for us....M__ and her younger son T___. Yes, we bought some more stuff. This is me with M___ on the right and T___ in the middle. I am a whopping 5'2". I feel like a giant in the land. But I digress.



After making our purchases, we headed back to the hotel, and then straight to dinner. We had not eaten since breakfast, because we did not know what food was safe in the villages. So, we headed back to the "good meat restaurant".

TE, Sunshine, and I ordered "Dinner for Two" to share between the three of us. The menu said, "comes with two steaks, two chicken breasts, two pork chops, two Italian sausages, and two pork sausages". So, we figured this means little appetizer bites, since it is meant to feed two people. Well, out comes a platter piled high with meat. Each chicken breast was twice the size of a regular restaurant portion. We all ate our fill, and this was what was left...


So, we're all sitting around, digesting, and trying to figure out what to do with all this leftover meat...and who should come by to sell me bracelets???? It was A___, the young man with the bad language. He looks at me and then at the meat...and then I knew what to do.

So, I called the restaurant owner over to ask for a box for my friend. The owner brings him a plate and fork and sits him down at the table behind us. This man treated A___ with such dignity, it was truly humbling. And again, I was reminded that the little boy behind me was not only A___, he was Jesus in disguise.



After he ate, we boxed up the rest of the meat and vegetables for his family. It felt good. This time when I said "Dios bendiga", he said "gracious".

I know I can't solve the problem of their overwhelming poverty with a piece of chicken. But, that night, A___ went to bed without the gnawing pain of hunger in his side. And I went to bed at peace with myself.