So after praying, Arturo, laptop in hand, told us he was really excited about a message he wanted to share. We turned to Luke 14 and he had just opened his mouth to speak when a little boy sat down in the middle of Trevor and I. We looked at him and smiled at each other. 'No se preocupen,' he said. 'No los robé.' (Don't worry, I didn't rob you.) :) We all laughed and he told us he just wanted to listen. 'Que chido,' we all agreed. He told us his name was Carlos and he was 6 years old. So Arturo began to speak again, but just as that started to happen, two little girls came and joined us. Carlitos' sisters, Teresa (11) and Marina (10). We just started chatting with them and enjoying their awesomeness. I love the way kids aren't afraid to say or do anything. Carlos was making fun of the way Arturo likes to repeat words, Teresa made fun of Schekko's face (ok, that was a little much), and they were all ripping on each other the whole time. But it was beautiful in so many ways! These kids basically live in Los Angeles--they are 7 siblings who make their money asking tourists if they want to hear about the legend of the Callejón del Beso. They spend some of their small change on flan and juice, and they always share with each other.
Schekko, artist as he is, asked them if they wanted him to draw them some pictures. Of course they agreed, and when he asked what they wanted, Marina answered immediately, 'Una virgincita!' (a little virgin Mary). Teresa followed suit after her, and I think Carlitos asked for Spongebob. :) Trevor taught them how to do chin people (you put sunglasses on your neck, chin is the nose, mouth is upside down), and they got the biggest kick out of it. Gosh, I don't know. It was just exactly where we were supposed to be. And they were so, SO refreshing to our souls. We took some pictures before we left. Carlitos definitely flipped the bird in a few, but all in good fun. :)
Before saying goodbye, we asked if they wanted to watch a movie on Saturday night, same place. Of course they said yes, so last night, we met them again. All we had was Arturo's laptop, and he had gotten some speakers from a friend, but we didn't have a place to plug them in. 'Ah,' said Marina, when we told her our dilemma, 'Ahí hay una toma, pero tienes que quitarlo si la policía viene.' There was an outlet on the side of a random building that you can use as long as the police aren't there, apparently, so of course we used it. :) We watched 'José Rey de los Sueños' (Joseph: King of Dreams).
Carlitos leaned up against me, picking his nose and looking up at me, laughing instead of paying attention. Marina held her baby brother Ricardo, cousin Dani made weird noises and played with chocolate frogs and little Wendy watched the movie with great interest, telling us all what was happening above the noise of wedding fireworks and the passing novios, chillin' muchachos and families chatting, in a place of chamotes and cockroaches alike. It was perfect.
"Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.'" --Luke 18:15-16
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:)
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