I was so bummed when some of the sisters that were sent from Mexico to help our congregation were leaving so.....I followed them to El Salvador! They decided to stop there for a week vacation and since I have friends there too, I decided to tag along.
After the first meeting with one of our host families.
Karaoke and Mexican food after the meeting, woo hoo!
Some of the local sisters decided to teach us how to make the local dishes. We ate fruit out of a giant green alien looking pod called fruita de Paterna . I tried to let it pass me by but everyone was looking so I had to try it. It actually tasted fine but I was prejudiced by the way it looked! Next we made Flor de Izote and Pacayas (below).
They took the flowers above and mixed them in frothy eggs and cheese below. After that they deep fried it. You can see the unfried and fried below.
Finally they added a tomato based sauce and viola! Fried flowers for dinner! They were a bit bitter for my taste but I ate all the fried cheesy goodness :-)
In passing, I said that I'd like to learn to make tortillas and pupusas one day but probably wouldn't be able to. The sisters seemed to take this as a personal challenge. I was getting ready for bed when a sister pulled me into the kitchen with a practice piece of dough. I found myself surrounded by little old Salvadorean ladies cupping their hands around mine showing me to make the perfect pupusa tortilla. They finally left me in the kitchen to practice on my own but put me through a final exam before letting me go to sleep. Once I got it, they ran and got my camera and took this photo!
We bounced around to many different houses while were in El Salvador. Unlike in the States, you can just show up to someones house needing a place to stay and it's no problem at all. In this picture, we stayed with the parents of one sister. They welcomed all of us in their house with no heads up. I was really comfortable and slept well. I get some of my best sleep on the floor! When we were leaving the brother gathered us here and tearfully thanks us for staying with he and his family! He was so overwhelmed that friends from Mexico and the US would stay in his humble home. He kept apologizing that he didn't have more to give but felt it was a privilege to have us with them for just one night! I was floored. Trust me, the privilege was all ours.
The loving family sending us on our way to our next stop in El Salvador
Congregation number 2! We went to visit a tiny congregation where one of the Mexican sisters went to help last year. They have 1 elder and 1 servant. Almost the entire congregation is made up of sisters!
There were 3 sisters in their early 20s living in the Kingdom Hall apartment. The elder allowed us to stay with them. So very small quarters for three, quickly became tiny tiny quarters for 10! We borrowed mattresses from the elder and his family (we also stayed there one night) and all slept on the floor. Again, I slept sooo well! One night after lots of service we borrowed an old tv to watch the copy of "The Notebook" that I had just bought (best movie Ev-er!!) Anyway, we were all on the floor indian style with pop corn and all when we heard a loud pop. Then, the tv started smoking! They quickly got the tv out to make sure we didn't burn down the tiny KH, yikes. It was actually pretty hilarious. Then we just sat there looking at each other like ok, now what!? We stayed up playing games instead. We'll have to watch the ending another time!
Lunch of spaghetti, sour cream and mangoes, mmmm!
Who knew there was a water park in El Salvador!!! Things got lost in translation and I didn't realize we were going here until we arrived lol. It's called Termos del Rio . I'm not much for swimming or water related recreation but I had a ball sleeping in a hammock, eating and watching them!
I teased the friends that this was my second time in El Salvador and I still had not been to a party or seen any one dance. The next day, the elder organized an impromptu congregation fiesta with specially ordered pupusas and ice cream cones! Boy did they ever show me they know how to party!!!
Pupusas!!
My lil BFF--I was only there for 3 days but she was always right under me and cried when I left. So much love!!!
Everyone was so sweet!
At the bus station in El Salvador
This donkey really thinks she's a puppy. She hangs out at the border (on the Nicaraguan side). She waits for the buses to come in and then walks right up to everyone and nudges their hand for a snack. She has NO fear and is quite persistent. I assured her I didn't have any food left but she didn't believe me! El Salvador will always have hold a special place in my heart <3 .
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