I think I alluded to this coming event in a previous post.  On Friday I visited the family of my sponsor kid, Edgar.  It was a birthday lunch for his younger brother Ericson.  I’ve become very attached to both of these boys and their family.  They are very active in their Evangelical Church and they are all just nice, nice people.  I love witnessing the relationship the boys have with their mother.  I have met, but rarely see, their dad because it is necessary for him to always be at work.

We had papillon for lunch.  Papillon I can best describe as a chicken stew.  It is made with whole pieces of chicken, potatoes, and carrots, and is traditionally served with rice in a bowl.  It is often very spicy.  This version had some great zing to it, but my hostess teased me and admitted she went easy on the peppers in deference to her gringo friend. 🙂  Before we ate Ericson stood and said a prayer.  I later learned by asking that it was not a recited prayer but spoken in his own words.  I suspected as much because during the prayer I heard my name spoken twice.

And of course there was the cake.  That was my contribution to the festivities.  Here Ericson is literally licking his lips staring at his cake.  Ericson has a sponsor who lives somewhere in California, but she has not been able to travel to Guatemala, so he has never actually met her.  He showed Renato and I a birthday card he had received from her.  He’s quite a sensitive, emotional kid and was very touched that his brother’s sponsor would bring him a cake and celebrate his birthday.  It was my pleasure I can assure you.

Here’s Ericson and his mom enjoying the candle moment.  That’s Renato who almost made it into the picture.  Also in attendance were Alma, the social worker in San Miguel Milpas Altas, and of course Edgar.  The lunch was great, the cake was great, and the laughter plentiful.