This morning we left Hogar Paz Y Algeria. On the last night just before dinner, all the men, Sisters & some staff gathered & sang a TY song. They gave us a beautiful mate cup with the metal straw & a bag of mix. Many had tears in their eyes…as I did. Each gave Rog a hand shake & me a kiss on the cheek. I wanted to say so much but was way too choked up. Rog usually can but he too couldn't. 18 days-29 men- 6 Sister & several staff now crowd my heart. Though I don't even know each of their names, I know their smile and feel their love. Sister Jane (NOT ME but MofC) assured me she would continue to set up an activity table & encourage the men to stay active. She told me it made her so happy to see us become one of them…no inhibitions inspire of the drilling, poor coordination & slow response…we connected. Though I could write pages about each one, I will try to safe just a few not already mentioned in my updates:
Beto: the longest resident, grumbled as he walk about but soft inside
Carlito: always willing to help nuns & other less able
Benjamin: suffered several strokes so very had no facial expression, tiny unsteady steps, only one hand yet very interested in tried so hard to do whatever we put in front of him
Herman; former boxer who loved talking with my translator & mourned his lack of contact with his brother
Lujan: former jockey who laughed that the others were doing useless stuff but then did them too. He loved proving he was the strongest
The careful colored: would wait till I offered to walk him to the table & then spent hours staying in the line using one color
The swollen feet man: could not make a decision & struggled which piece of the 4 piece puzzle was next
The one foot man who grinned & drooled constantly & always wanted to kiss my hand
The almost blind man who loved to just squeeze my hand
The man with the crutch who used it lots playing with the floating disc
The man I called Danny DeVito who always looked glum but loved to play with the Zip line
The oldest little old man at 81 who was willing to do anything
The young kid with jerky motions & no expression who tried hard to get a rhythm going for the Zipline & had such a short attention span
Nicoli- good looking young staff who joked with the men while picking them up & cleaning them
Truly volunteering is the best part of our travel. Rewarding. Meaningful. Priceless
Memories flood me but it's time to move on…
Here's Roger's thoughts on Zarate:
I recently heard a life coach talking about the choices we make and his advice was to make the most of the situation where you are right now. Then he said something that we all know and usually avoid saying. We will all soon be dead. True. The ball gets passed on and we become a memory for some. How will I be remembered? That is a question we all should consider.
The men at the home in Zarate have come there to die. The nuns work nonstop to care for them and provide them a clean place to live. They work with seldom a word of thanks from anyone. When I thanked a nun for mopping the floor she said the men deserve a clean place so they can die "like a human being". I will remember her for her service to others.
They also smile and laugh with the men, tease them, play music, sing, and hug them. They show them love. I will remember their love for those who are sometimes difficult to care for.
We have new appreciation for our lives after visiting with the dying men for three weeks. Many of the men were not as old as we are, but they have suffered severe health issues that prevent them from adequately providing for themselves. It is clear that they would soon die if not for the nuns. It is not hard for us to imagine ourselves in their position and we feel fortunate that we have so far been able to enjoy our lives by spending time with our families and friends, pursue travel experiences, and manage our home. Life is Good!
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Empty Update 14??
FYI. If you're wondering why you got an empty update… Roger opened my emails prepared with addresses and ready to write my updates. Need I say anymore??
Monday, February 2, 2026
Update 11
I haven't written much about our evenings out when we get on bikes & head outside the locked gate. There's a nice bike path that threads through a large park area next to the Parana River where large cargo ships pass by regularly. They have to go under a large bridge so they blow their loud, deep, low horn each time. Several sailboats, fishing boats & a few scull boats too. Many fishermen line the walkways but we've only seen a couple fish caught. As we ride along the bike trail, we pass lots of couples sitting in webbed lawn chairs often with folding tables or on a blanket or just the grass and almost all are sipping mate. Small kids have riding toys and kick balls. We meet many other bikers, skateboarders & roller skaters. After about a 30 min ride, we stop at one of the several restaurants that overlook the river. We've enjoyed all our meals…especially the crispy French fries. Only one meal made us laugh. We'd looked at pictures of the menu item & thought we were ordering onion rings on top of a piece of fish. Wrong. The rings were squid. Tasty! We usually sit there quite awhile enjoying the evening breeze off the river just people watching. It's most certainly a pleasant way to end the day!
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Update 10
I've mentioned Atilio often & in Update 4 I gave some of his background information. But I want to dwell on him a bit as I often think He's the main reason I'm here. Because he speaks English which he learned as a computer specialist, we have had some pretty deep conversations about death, religion…and even politics. He has accepted he's dying and is disturbed by his lack of closeness to God. He says he was a good man but religion was never part of his life. He thinks maybe that's why he's here…surrounded by nuns. This is his opportunity to grow in faith and feel close to God. I have read him many bible verses with the message that God loves him now & always will. He especially related to Job. He chuckled when I read him the story of Dismas & told him he was Sister Liz's (my mom's cousin) patron saint. He was the good thief that was hanging next to Jesus on the cross. Here's the verse: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."Jesus replied "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise". Luke 23:42-43
So Sister Liz said she'd pray to St. Joseph first but if he didn't get her what she wanted, she'd ask St. Dismas to steal it for her!
Atilio has no family and he doesn't want his friends to see him like he is, so Rog & I are his only visitors. His eyes always light up when I come into his room…probably because I usually bring him food & cold water. The chocolate bread I bring him he says will be his favorite til the day he dies. (Kinda hard to hear). Last night he asked me to use my influence to get him an extra meatball! His strength & appetite have increased just in the 2 weeks we've been here so maybe the extra calories are helping! Atilio says even though he's over 5000 mi from DC, he can see our administration is wrong & immigrants only come because they are desperate. As we chat, I swat the flies & mosquitoes which are few thanks to the fans & deep daily cleaning. As I sit by his bed I'm facing a large picture of MofC nun caring for a dying man and on the wall behind her is a picture of Jesus' body being cared for by 3 women. It's like Jesus speaking clearly & directly to me: "Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do unto me." He tells me he knows he is very fortunate to be here. And I know truly I'm blessed beyond measure to be here.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Update 9
It's truly incredible that this home with 29 men, most in diapers & many whose bed is wet each morning…smells so clean! The thorough daily cleaning and mounds of laundry handing to dry each morning is the reason. Men shower probably daily and those who can't are lowered into a bathtub. Today 2 young guys came to give haircuts and fresh shaves. The nuns do most of the cleaning. They will often stop doing whatever they're dong to visit, tease or just pat the men. Often they have joined them in the activities we are providing adding laughs & smiles. Today we had some men kicking a round an air powered disc (think air hockey puck). Several nuns did some kicking too. Coloring is still the activity of choice. Rog & I often sit next to individuals who can't or choice not to sit at the table. Using a tray as a table, we encourage them to do puzzles (even the 4 piece is a challenge), stack of circles toy, shape sorting ball, magnetic shapes & duplos. But the one that wear us out the most is Zip Ball because we have to stand opposite the man and make the ball go back & forth…until usually we quit. All the nuns have taken turns too. Great exercise for all! On Wednesday, a local man came & had several men paint on wood that had a picture traced on it. He also had some sawing to make legs for small tables they plan to construct. Sister Anita brought over a broken guitar for him to fix and then got a few lessons. So now she's a singing nun who can strum!
Our slowest day is Thursday as it's the nuns "day in" and as one of the local helpers says as he plays his transistor radio loudly…when the cats away, the rats will play! I was able to have a nice conversation with a couple men who could talk to me using Google translator. It was good to learn something about their story. One was boxer & the other a jockey. Both felt they had successful lives. When I said I thought they must feel bad about losing that life, one said " 
You certainly can't call these men lucky…but at least they are living in a clean environment, wearing clean cloths, sleeping in clean beds, eating nutritional meals and getting excellent care with much love added! We are impressed!
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Update 8
I'll start with a funny story:
We were talking to Jake on the phone when we heard a loud clanging. I immediately jumped up & ran to the door which we had forgotten to lock. I got there just in time to pull the gate shut and kindly wave Jesu away. Then I went back to talk to Jake who asked what was happening. We explained it was just Jesu, one of the residence who's about 6 foot tall shaking the gate to our front door. He wanders about often & the nuns tell us he is looking for food & will eat up any he finds. He is truly a gentle giant. As I told Jake, "We aren't kidding when we say we are living in a loony bin!"
There's also been quite a racket in the fig tree in our front yard. The figs are starting to ripen and parrots have invaded the tree. Rog counted about 30 today. Sister Anita tries to knock the figs down to save them with little success…so I was surprised to see her show up in the kitchen tenderly holding a parrot! It had been attacked by the resident dog. She put it in a box…it didn't live long but she'd tried. So I guess she can't even let the fig attackers die without some TLC. She probably prayed for it too.
These nuns are wonderful. Sister Joan, the cook creates such nutritional meals every day in a sweltering kitchen. She's a hoot scurrying about making humongous bowls of a mixture of multiple ingredients. Things I'd never think to combine. All chopped up in small pieces because most the men are missing most their teeth…and then she pours it & spreads it into pans that are 3'x2'x1" and pops it in the oven. Each is a unique casserole ready to feed the residents & nuns. Today she was going to the market so lunch had to be prepared ahead & served cold. She prepared what I'd call a Pasta Salad on Steroids: pasta, potatoes, carrots, chicken, beets, peas, onions, peppers, oil, salt & mayonnaise. I've been the designated onion chopper and I can honestly say that I've chopped over 100 onions! Rog gets to do the peppers. I'm glad he keeps our knives sharp.
With lunch made, we headed to town. We picked up chicken a man was donating & since the bank was close & we needed pesos, we went in only to be turned away because we were not customers. Luckily, the chicken donator knew where we could get dollars exchanged for pesos. It helps to have connections! Next stop was groceries & then to the bus station to get ticket for Ana because she is leaving tomorrow. Helena is leaving also but she has a car & lives just 1 hour away. We will truly miss them as they have helped so much in the kitchen & Helena speaks English.
We got back to our villa around 1 & had our usual ham & cheese sandwich then down for a rest & out of the heat. Around 3 we headed back to visit Atilio & do activities with the men. About half now participate with a little encouragement . Today Helena took time to play UNO with about 5 players…including Rog. She was so patient explaining how to play. Rog needed a few explanations too! Several nuns & us got a big laugh when one of the older & less active residents told Sister Avo that he'll be glad when we leave so he can watch more TV. (Large TV in activity room usually has a movie playing unless we're there.) Judging from all the smiles & laughs we get from many of the other residents, I think & hope he's in the minority!!
We were talking to Jake on the phone when we heard a loud clanging. I immediately jumped up & ran to the door which we had forgotten to lock. I got there just in time to pull the gate shut and kindly wave Jesu away. Then I went back to talk to Jake who asked what was happening. We explained it was just Jesu, one of the residence who's about 6 foot tall shaking the gate to our front door. He wanders about often & the nuns tell us he is looking for food & will eat up any he finds. He is truly a gentle giant. As I told Jake, "We aren't kidding when we say we are living in a loony bin!"
There's also been quite a racket in the fig tree in our front yard. The figs are starting to ripen and parrots have invaded the tree. Rog counted about 30 today. Sister Anita tries to knock the figs down to save them with little success…so I was surprised to see her show up in the kitchen tenderly holding a parrot! It had been attacked by the resident dog. She put it in a box…it didn't live long but she'd tried. So I guess she can't even let the fig attackers die without some TLC. She probably prayed for it too.
These nuns are wonderful. Sister Joan, the cook creates such nutritional meals every day in a sweltering kitchen. She's a hoot scurrying about making humongous bowls of a mixture of multiple ingredients. Things I'd never think to combine. All chopped up in small pieces because most the men are missing most their teeth…and then she pours it & spreads it into pans that are 3'x2'x1" and pops it in the oven. Each is a unique casserole ready to feed the residents & nuns. Today she was going to the market so lunch had to be prepared ahead & served cold. She prepared what I'd call a Pasta Salad on Steroids: pasta, potatoes, carrots, chicken, beets, peas, onions, peppers, oil, salt & mayonnaise. I've been the designated onion chopper and I can honestly say that I've chopped over 100 onions! Rog gets to do the peppers. I'm glad he keeps our knives sharp.
With lunch made, we headed to town. We picked up chicken a man was donating & since the bank was close & we needed pesos, we went in only to be turned away because we were not customers. Luckily, the chicken donator knew where we could get dollars exchanged for pesos. It helps to have connections! Next stop was groceries & then to the bus station to get ticket for Ana because she is leaving tomorrow. Helena is leaving also but she has a car & lives just 1 hour away. We will truly miss them as they have helped so much in the kitchen & Helena speaks English.
We got back to our villa around 1 & had our usual ham & cheese sandwich then down for a rest & out of the heat. Around 3 we headed back to visit Atilio & do activities with the men. About half now participate with a little encouragement . Today Helena took time to play UNO with about 5 players…including Rog. She was so patient explaining how to play. Rog needed a few explanations too! Several nuns & us got a big laugh when one of the older & less active residents told Sister Avo that he'll be glad when we leave so he can watch more TV. (Large TV in activity room usually has a movie playing unless we're there.) Judging from all the smiles & laughs we get from many of the other residents, I think & hope he's in the minority!!
Monday, January 26, 2026
Update 7
It seems there's always a way to help around here. In the kitchen or trying to engage the men in some activity. Miolito is a coloring machine & several others are regulars. They got tired of duplos & the one simple puzzle here so we played more balloon volleyball until we got tired! Since several of our dear friends (you know who you are) sent money with us to spend when we see needs,I told Sister Anita and asked if she thought it would be good to spend some of that donated money to get some more things for the men to play with. Smiling, she readily agreed and asked Michaela (long time volunteer) to go with us. Off we went to a nice toy store where Michaela & I picked out lots of toys we thought the men could play successfully considering their disabilities. Many are toys toddlers use to improve eye hand coordination. Also fidgets, slinkies, magic cubes, large piece puzzles,etc. We'll keep them in our villa & take them out just one or two at a time.
We got back in time to go on the large group outing. The nuns encouraged everyone to join and it took some coxing to get some of them to go. Pushing the ones in wheelchairs while those who could walk with or without help slowly made their way to the river park. It was a very short distance but took a long time to get everyone sitting on the a long bench with a view of the river and the breeze in their faces. Helena had brought a guitar & sang sweetly while Sister Anita passed out orange drink & candy. After a bit, a vendor selling churros came by and I think, Michael stopped her & bought one for everyone. Delicious! One man has a disease that makes his skin very itchy and so he is always moving back & forth in his wheelchair. Sister Anita started to imitate the movement & said he was like Michael Jackson. Love her sense of humor & ability to tease these guys which always makes them smile. After a bit I noticed Sister Joan wasn't there so figured she was working in the kitchen and could use my help. Yup. Rog said after I left a local man came by and played the guitar and sang really well. Slowly the procession returned without incident until they noticed Fran, the runaway wasn't there….Rog jumped on a bike, Helena drove off in her car and several nuns took off running! Quite the scene. He was found quickly. Never a dull moment. After the dinner mess is cleaned up most nights, Rog & I get on the bikes & head out looking for our dinner and the chance to be around the average Argentinian. We probably are the only tourist here though we don't look much different than most of them. We ride by many families & couples relaxing in the cool evening breeze sipping their mate…a tea like drink. They have a large thermos of hot water which they pour some of into a cup filled with a mate mix & then sip it through a metal straw…refilling as needed. It's such a common site and the cups & straws are often very unique. On Saturday night, there were bands performing…one punk rock and the other more of an Irish band with the flute player who was outstanding. We find it quite amazing that we found ourselves in a place where we can make someone's life a bit better, be with wonderful nuns who we can chat & laugh with, have bikes to ride to nice restaurants nearby & do a bit of exploring, live in our own private albeit simple villa…all in a sunny warm place. It's truly a win-win situation!
We got back in time to go on the large group outing. The nuns encouraged everyone to join and it took some coxing to get some of them to go. Pushing the ones in wheelchairs while those who could walk with or without help slowly made their way to the river park. It was a very short distance but took a long time to get everyone sitting on the a long bench with a view of the river and the breeze in their faces. Helena had brought a guitar & sang sweetly while Sister Anita passed out orange drink & candy. After a bit, a vendor selling churros came by and I think, Michael stopped her & bought one for everyone. Delicious! One man has a disease that makes his skin very itchy and so he is always moving back & forth in his wheelchair. Sister Anita started to imitate the movement & said he was like Michael Jackson. Love her sense of humor & ability to tease these guys which always makes them smile. After a bit I noticed Sister Joan wasn't there so figured she was working in the kitchen and could use my help. Yup. Rog said after I left a local man came by and played the guitar and sang really well. Slowly the procession returned without incident until they noticed Fran, the runaway wasn't there….Rog jumped on a bike, Helena drove off in her car and several nuns took off running! Quite the scene. He was found quickly. Never a dull moment. After the dinner mess is cleaned up most nights, Rog & I get on the bikes & head out looking for our dinner and the chance to be around the average Argentinian. We probably are the only tourist here though we don't look much different than most of them. We ride by many families & couples relaxing in the cool evening breeze sipping their mate…a tea like drink. They have a large thermos of hot water which they pour some of into a cup filled with a mate mix & then sip it through a metal straw…refilling as needed. It's such a common site and the cups & straws are often very unique. On Saturday night, there were bands performing…one punk rock and the other more of an Irish band with the flute player who was outstanding. We find it quite amazing that we found ourselves in a place where we can make someone's life a bit better, be with wonderful nuns who we can chat & laugh with, have bikes to ride to nice restaurants nearby & do a bit of exploring, live in our own private albeit simple villa…all in a sunny warm place. It's truly a win-win situation!
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Update 6
Good news! The man, Fran who'd escaped has been returned. Found naked in a factory. He is only about 30 and as I mentioned, needs meds to control his schizophrenia. He is good looking, fit and always walking usually with a scowl. He ignores everyone but the sisters give him lots of jobs. On Thursday, the nuns have what they call a day in. Locals showed up, builds a wood fire, put a plow share on top & cooked a local dish called Sorrentino. Kinda like a stew. They gave us a big pan of it. Delicious. Since the nuns weren't around to tell us what to do, we spent more time coloring with the men and playing balloon volleyball which they loved. We saw some move in ways we didn't know they could! We spent more time with Atilio. He especially enjoyed listening to The Raven, by Poe and a couple poem by Frost. We ate Sorrentino for dinner so had longer bike ride instead and we had time to play a couple games of cribbage.
Friday was my birthday and I was flooded with birthday wishes via email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger & Instagram! Amazing and confusing to have some many ways to communicate…and all free!
I told Rog not to tell the nuns it was my BD as they already have so much to do & would probably feel obligated to do something. And the men don't seem to be capable of understanding or couldn't do anything if they could. Except Atilio—so I told him & took him a piece of chocolate bread we had. We went about the day encouraging coloring, volleyball, building with duplo blocks and preparing & serving meals. Left on our bikes around 8 in search of a good steak dinner. Rog had checked several restaurants out by looking at their website pictures & ratings. We headed for the best. The restaurant was quite simple & the waitress had a sleeping baby on her shoulder. An older man who seemed to be the owner brought us appetizers & tried to talk English but we ended up using our translator. (They are fantastic!). The steak was tender & delicious, the French fries & onion rings were crispy and Rog had a cold beer & I had Coke Zero. The owner checked on us man times & chatted with us. He was pleased to hear we were from USA, helping at MofC and that it was my BD. He brought us a creamy, Carmel topped flan and champagne. A vendor selling flowers came by & Rog couldn't resist so he bought me flowers & had to pay over $10. When we got our dinner bill of $38, Rog pulled out his credit card, as usual. Unfortunately, they didn't take credit cards. We pooled what pesos we had & were still $10 short. (Shouldn't have bought those flowers.). The owner said, "No hay problema. Manana!" So we biked off feeling pretty strange. (Update: took him $ next day with a big tip). I went to sleep thinking about all the countries I've celebrated my BD in, all the BD wishes I got, and the chance to talk to so many people I love dearly. I thought about how lucky I am to be well enough to celebrate my 75th birthday like I did today!
Friday was my birthday and I was flooded with birthday wishes via email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger & Instagram! Amazing and confusing to have some many ways to communicate…and all free!
I told Rog not to tell the nuns it was my BD as they already have so much to do & would probably feel obligated to do something. And the men don't seem to be capable of understanding or couldn't do anything if they could. Except Atilio—so I told him & took him a piece of chocolate bread we had. We went about the day encouraging coloring, volleyball, building with duplo blocks and preparing & serving meals. Left on our bikes around 8 in search of a good steak dinner. Rog had checked several restaurants out by looking at their website pictures & ratings. We headed for the best. The restaurant was quite simple & the waitress had a sleeping baby on her shoulder. An older man who seemed to be the owner brought us appetizers & tried to talk English but we ended up using our translator. (They are fantastic!). The steak was tender & delicious, the French fries & onion rings were crispy and Rog had a cold beer & I had Coke Zero. The owner checked on us man times & chatted with us. He was pleased to hear we were from USA, helping at MofC and that it was my BD. He brought us a creamy, Carmel topped flan and champagne. A vendor selling flowers came by & Rog couldn't resist so he bought me flowers & had to pay over $10. When we got our dinner bill of $38, Rog pulled out his credit card, as usual. Unfortunately, they didn't take credit cards. We pooled what pesos we had & were still $10 short. (Shouldn't have bought those flowers.). The owner said, "No hay problema. Manana!" So we biked off feeling pretty strange. (Update: took him $ next day with a big tip). I went to sleep thinking about all the countries I've celebrated my BD in, all the BD wishes I got, and the chance to talk to so many people I love dearly. I thought about how lucky I am to be well enough to celebrate my 75th birthday like I did today!
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Update 5
Things looked pretty quiet this am so we did some of our wash. We've been gone one week so it was time. As we were hanging the last few, Sister Joan came & asked us to take her to the market so off we went. Since her driver always knew the way, she had a hard time figuring out how to get there. Even had to say a prayer once…but we got there. It was a huge warehouse with lots of fruits & veges. She said yesterday was the big market day & there would have been tons more produce, but we got enough to fill up the van: potatoes, carrots, onions, Swiss chard, turnips, cabbage, egg plants, bananas, apples, oranges, lettuce, melon & eggs. Most she paid for but several vendors gave her their less desirable produce which she gladly took. We stopped for cheese, ham, tuna & chicken at another market on our way back. By 11 we were back in our villa eating lunch. The afternoon was slow. I tried to play tic/tac/toe with a few men but only got blank stares or they shook their head no. Finally at 4, we started cleaning the veges & putting them in storage. that kept us busy until 7. Dinner & dishes were handled mostly by residence. Some of them that I thought were staff, were not. We've been able to borrow the nuns bikes which has been a nice way to get to nearby restaurants for relaxing dinner next to the river. Our evenings have been filled with reading, writing & phone calls.
Here's a funny story I don't want to forget…Rog noticed a lot of yogurt like containers in our frig so he opened one & tasted it. He thought it just needed sugar so he added some. Better, he said so he ate the whole thing. Later we learned, it was cream cheese.
Next morning there were more veges to peel, cut, cook or store. I was dicing onions when Sister Joan walked by & told me not to cry…so I started singing Don't Cry for Me Argentina and she immediately joined in. She loves to laugh. Yesterday on our way to the market, she'd laugh when we came to a speed bump & say "Loma burro" (hill donkey). She is the main cook and I don't see her using recipes. She said she uses what she has & her imagination! Yesterday a bakery brought left over bread. There were @50 left over croissants so she had me slice them & put a piece of cheese & ham in them. She popped them in the over 15 min before dinner and wella….super meal eagerly gobbled up! She had me cut up some donated French bread into chunks & that'll be breakfast along with jam. The harder buns were broken into chunks & made into bread pudding! Buns not too bad were set aside for families that came later. Too hard one were put in a bag for a lady who has pigs who will come later to get them. Not a crumb wasted. At the market someone gave her a crate of egg plants because they were old. Today Rog helped peel them & slice them. Sister boiled them and then I helped dip them in egg & cover them with bread crumbs. She stirred up a tomato sauce, spooned that on each & added a slice of cheese. Another good meal created from free food. Other than the instant potatoes, everything else has been made from scratch and with much care. Much of the work is done by two young Argentina girls who hope to join the MofC. One, Helena speaks good English so we chat with her while we work.
Today's trip to town was with a local lady, Michaela. She's a HS Math teacher with extra time to volunteer since it's summer break here. She has volunteered her for over 30 years. We went after bike locks & groceries. Before we left, we asked Sister Anita what the men might enjoy. She suggested coloring books & Duplo sets. We found both! Later as the men started coming to the dining room tables, we put them out & BINGO…several started building towers & coloring. Success! Later, as we were cleaning up, Sister Joan told me she was missing me. I said, we aren't leaving for at least a week…she said she knows but is already starting to think about missing me. I'll miss her too.
Here's a funny story I don't want to forget…Rog noticed a lot of yogurt like containers in our frig so he opened one & tasted it. He thought it just needed sugar so he added some. Better, he said so he ate the whole thing. Later we learned, it was cream cheese.
Next morning there were more veges to peel, cut, cook or store. I was dicing onions when Sister Joan walked by & told me not to cry…so I started singing Don't Cry for Me Argentina and she immediately joined in. She loves to laugh. Yesterday on our way to the market, she'd laugh when we came to a speed bump & say "Loma burro" (hill donkey). She is the main cook and I don't see her using recipes. She said she uses what she has & her imagination! Yesterday a bakery brought left over bread. There were @50 left over croissants so she had me slice them & put a piece of cheese & ham in them. She popped them in the over 15 min before dinner and wella….super meal eagerly gobbled up! She had me cut up some donated French bread into chunks & that'll be breakfast along with jam. The harder buns were broken into chunks & made into bread pudding! Buns not too bad were set aside for families that came later. Too hard one were put in a bag for a lady who has pigs who will come later to get them. Not a crumb wasted. At the market someone gave her a crate of egg plants because they were old. Today Rog helped peel them & slice them. Sister boiled them and then I helped dip them in egg & cover them with bread crumbs. She stirred up a tomato sauce, spooned that on each & added a slice of cheese. Another good meal created from free food. Other than the instant potatoes, everything else has been made from scratch and with much care. Much of the work is done by two young Argentina girls who hope to join the MofC. One, Helena speaks good English so we chat with her while we work.
Today's trip to town was with a local lady, Michaela. She's a HS Math teacher with extra time to volunteer since it's summer break here. She has volunteered her for over 30 years. We went after bike locks & groceries. Before we left, we asked Sister Anita what the men might enjoy. She suggested coloring books & Duplo sets. We found both! Later as the men started coming to the dining room tables, we put them out & BINGO…several started building towers & coloring. Success! Later, as we were cleaning up, Sister Joan told me she was missing me. I said, we aren't leaving for at least a week…she said she knows but is already starting to think about missing me. I'll miss her too.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
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