Sunday, 18 Oct 2015
Dean Olson, San Salvador

We had a great dinner outing last night going to a place called a pupuseria, which you might expect from its name specializes in pupusas.  At the Villa Antiqua Restaurante, a pupusa is essentially a 2-layered tortilla stuffed with cheese, beans, pork, or combinations.  A pupusa, like a tortilla, is made from corn, and at this place, they are served hot right off of a grill.  Driving around town, you see them being prepared streetside in many, many locations.  Most of us tried to have at least one each.  The Cubs game was seen on TV, and the commentary on ESPN was all in Spanish.  We were driven to a neighborhood just outside San Salvador, and it was crawling with people, families, kids, people on dates, and choked traffic including scooters delivering pizza or anything else.  Zack and I had a non-alcoholic drink called horchata.  It is semi-sweet, has some cinnamon, some peanut, and a slight taste and appearance of chocolate milk.  Some adults shared some beers - 4 for $7.90.  Francis explained in advance that everything is included and paid in advance by Habitat, but if you want an alcoholic beverage, you pay yourself.

Briseida, a Habitat staffer from last year, joined us for dinner. Katy, also from Habitat last year dropped by the hotel lobby to say hello before dinner.  It was great to see them both.

Today's plan is to depart the hotel for a 6-minute drive to Cristo Rey Lutheran Church at 10:30 a.m.  Again, Francis is with us all the way, and Briseida will join us in Santa Ana as well.  It will be terrific to set foot in Christ the King Lutheran knowing that our dirt, our packing material, and our rebar (metal concrete reinforcements) are down there in the floor serving as this church's one foundation.

Those from Good Shepherd who cannot be here this year from last, Greg Fisher, Al and Harrison York, Sarah Smith, Jason Fisher, Laurie Johnson, Alison Cunningham, and Hannah Hart - your work here with us, dear friends, is appreciated forever and never forgotten.  I am sure we will be able to see it in the faces of worshippers this morning.

Still raining a little today, but mostly just a drizzle.  It takes too long to post a photo, so I'll save that for later.

Thanks for reading, and all for now.