Champurrado and Tamales!

Looks good huh....that 1st image is a picture of a tamale, and the 2nd picture is champurrado, a "warm and thick Mexican" drink. :) And why am I posting these pictures...let me explain.

In the mornings I go running at the Expo Park/USC area. As I was leaving from my run on the way back to my apartment on Thursday morning, I notice that there is a lady with a shopping cart, and so I ask her what she is selling. She tells me that she is selling champurrado. I ask "Cuantos" <--How much in Spanish. She says "1 dollar". I try to ask in my broken Spanish if she will be there 'manana' so that I can buy some the following day...she says yes and proceeds to get me a drink. I say "Oh no....it's okay...Esta bien." But she still continues and hands me the cup of champurrado. Then I ask her what is in the ice chest, and she says Tamales.. "Quantos", "$1". "Okay, manana." But she insists on getting me a tamale right away. Quite generous. Then I am trying to ask what time she will be back the following day... I hear "Cinco"...I'm thinking "She gets here at 5:00 in the morning?! YIKES!" So I explain to her that I will bring money to her tomorrow morning.

I continue to walk back to my apartment with my champurrado and tamale in my hand...quite delcious. And the only words I can think of to say delicious are "Masarap" <--from the Tagalog (Filippino) language....no where close to Spanish. Hee hee. Anyways....as I keep walking, I start to hear the shopping cart behind me and I see that the lady is walking behind me. So I go back and ask "Donde viven?" She lives close to me, as we figure out through my broken Spanish and her broken English that is more advanced than my broken Spanish. And we continue to have a conversation through our broken-ness of different languagues...but we are able to have a conversation...Praise God! :) And then we eventually separate ways....but I just thought it was definitely an amazing opportunity from God to meet this lady who lives and works in my neighborhood and talk with her, get my morning breakfast, and practice my Spanish. Ha ha.

Please pray for Iliana, as this is what her job is...and she is raising 3 children by herself! Pray that God continues to provide enough resources and income for her....and that her family is well taken care of. Pray that I will get to see her again and continue to have conversations as we are both growing more in learning Spanish/English. And pray that Iliana will be curious to know more about Jesus Christ, if she does not already have faith in Him in her own life. :-D