February 7, 2011

• Betsy

  As I lay awake this night trying in vain to go to sleep, I was thinking about my earlier post, I thought to myself:  "How could I have forgotten about Betsy?"  That started quite a train of thoughts....our years in Guatemala.  Some one suggested that I share my stories, perhaps I should.  I am sure I could write a book.    Well, whether that ever happens remains to be seen but I will write about this one.

  I am not sure just when this happened without looking it up, but think it was sometime in about 1999.  Our boys came home one afternoon from working down at our rented fields or buildings at the Co-op and told me that their friend Lencho wanted to bring his wife up for a visit.   They came and we had a good visit.  They were friendly and easy to visit.  I don't remember too much other than that he was wearing a T-shirt from Estacada, Oregon.  Since my brother's family had lived there a number of years I asked him about it and he told me that he had lived and worked there for a time.  He knew English fairly well. 

  I also had remembered meeting his wife, Rosa a few years earlier at a birthday party in El Molino, which was a couple of miles southeast of El Novillero where we lived.  I remember her saying that she had signed up for La Antorcha de Verdad, a periodical printed by the Mennonites in Costa Rica. Also, I had helped with her sister's baby Shela, when I was called in at the last moment because of a sluggish delivery.  Another sister had come for prenatals but had her mother deliver her little baby, Kendra, who was named for our little girl.   Anyway, the crux of the visit was that they were newly married and expecting their first child.  They wanted me to be their midwife.

  I thought this a bit odd since her mother was also a midwife but she was adamant that she didn't wish to have her mother deliver the baby.  She gave her reasons but I can't remember what they all were.  Anyway, this visit set off a lifetime friendship.  Actually, our girls and Rosa are very good friends and Lencho is one of our oldest son's good friends.

  Their house was just down the alley and a piece from ours.  It was interesting;  Lencho's father was one of the Ovalle clan. While most of those brothers and sisters converted to the Evangelical this one stayed Catholic.  But Dad (I am not sure of his name, Pedro, I believe) owned a plot along the main street in Novillero and had his "house"  there.  Often the houses are built with a central patio with different rooms around it.  There was a small shop of some kind in the very front along the street.  Then a door at the back of the shop room opened into the patio.  Of course along side that room was a garage door where they could pull their vehicles into the patio too.  Any way, all around the patio were different rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, etc.  Lencho and his wife had their room along the north side of the patio and a couple of his brothers had their rooms with their wives on either side too.  Plus the parents had their bedroom somewhere, not to mention where the sister's slept.  It was like a community living in the same household.  Also the dad had his wood working shop in the very back of the compound.  I wonder how all those women could work together in harmony...sharing the same kitchen, bathroom, etc.  Of course, I wasn't there all the time but it did seem to be working. 

  Well, delivery day came on Feb. 5th and Rosa delivered a healthy, beautiful baby she promptly named Betsabe, which being interpreted is Bathsheba.  (!)  I thought that an odd choice but Betsy which she was immediately dubbed fit that gorgeous little girl perfectly.  Oh did our girls just love playing dolly with her!  Rosa kept that young one so squeaky clean.    I should scan a photo of that little cherub.

  It was about in May, that Rosa's mother told me that Rosa was expecting again.  I could hardly believe it, but sure enough, she was.  So on the 28th of December, I found myself at  their house again, this time delivering Honoria.  That year, I started and ended with the same couple!

  Sometime during that year Rosa gave me her story...she had met Lencho like many other girls met their husbands.   She was walking home from work one day and Lencho was traveling the road at the same time.  They exchanged pleasantries as they walked along.  This happened several times and he eventually walked her home.  This deed was met by big-time trouble at her home and there was some accusations by her mother.  Lencho saw that his being friendly had gotten Rosa into hot water.  His intentions were honest but her mother was sure there was some foal play.  So, he told her parents that he would marry Rosa even though the accusations were false.  Unfortunately, he was Catholic and she was Evangelical.  She told me with tears that although she loved him, it was a problem.  I am sure it was.  Later she told me that she joined the Catholic church against her family's wishes.  It had been several years after Honoria was born....Lencho wasn't in good standing with his church because of his marriage to a non-catholic.  He is a good husband and she had no wish to leave him but it was tearing them apart.  He wanted to raise his children in his church, she in hers.  Oh the dilemma of of an unequal yoke.  Finally, she could bare it no longer and decided that if she was to honor him as her head she had to let him led, thus, joining the Catholic church.  She hopes that someday he will be converted to Christianity and feels that possibility is higher if she is in submission to him.  They did make peace with her mother and as far as I know are getting along well.  They built their own house apart from his parents and have had a little Jr. since we left Guatemala.  We pray that he will see the need of accepting Christ as his personal saviour.....he is sincere but unfortunately some of the evangelicals have left a bad example and we think some of the Catholics are actually closer to the kingdom.

  By the way, if you ever are traveling the Pan American highway and go through Novillero, be sure to stop by The Ocean Tai restaurant.  He serves very delicious chowmein. 

  • 2:30 am
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