This morning, people are feeling better already. We have another great breakfast of scrambled eggs. A couple of us have checked out the cavernous Mr. Donut around the corner, which, strangely, has coffee but no donuts... We make a few phone calls to the US on Alvaro's cell phone. Unfortunately, the pay phone at the church isn't working, but Alvaro has kindly let us buy minutes for his phone and use it. It only costs about 5 cents a minute to the States.
As we are planning our day, Bishop Barahona and most of the clergy appear in the parking lot. They are having a clergy conference today and tomorrow. He asks after our health, and although we are already better, advises us against staying overnight in Usulutan as we had originally planned. The Diocese has a physician on call as well, should we ever need medical advice. Among the clergy are Irma, an American retired priest from NYC, Father Jim Hagen, and an old friend from our previous trip, Padre Alex Tobar, with whom we worked on the ERD project in El Maizal. It is wonderful to see them all.
After deciding that a couple of us should rest in the air conditioning a while longer (at least for the morning), we make plans to pick them up later in the day, since there will be a gathering at San Miguel Arcangel in the afternoon. We set out once again, stopping for the water and Gatorade, picking up Padre David, the young woman and her abuelito from San Miguel.
As we drive up the dirt road into the countryside, we pass an ornate funeral procession with a glass-topped hearse covered in flowers. There are many cars and trucks in the procession. We casually ask about it and begin to find out, to our horror, that it was a young man, shot by gang members the day before yesterday in a case of mistaken identity. Worst of all, he lived in the house next door to where we are working. What is most difficult to hear is that this family, who are living out their worst imaginable nightmare, has no hope of justice - one does not go to the police in this situation. It seems that they must grieve with silent resignation the loss of their son or risk further violence; perhaps they are staying with relatives or friends.
In the two days that we have worked there, in this peaceful paradise, there has been absolutely no outwardly visible sign of the trauma to this family or to the fabric of the community. People have come and gone, up and down the road, tended their fields, driven their animals, gone to school, and greeted us politely. We also wonder about the effect on Jacobo and his family, living next door at the church. Later today, we see another hearse go by, unaccompanied, headed toward Quezalte. We also see some neighbors take their ox cart down the hill and return with a big load of red and blue plastic chairs, apparently for the post-funeral gathering nearby.
Today, the public health department is running a medical clinic in the "casa comunal". There is a steady stream of mothers, children and infants going to the church building for immunizations. Later in the day, a crew comes to spray all of the properties along the road, including the church, for mosquitoes.
The work on the project has continued to progress when we arrive. We get some work done, although the heat seems even more intense today, and we need to keep stopping frequently. Work on the stumps is still going on, and they are working on another big one. The main footing holes are also nearly ready. Several hours of labor are required to get two huge rocks out of the right-hand arch footing. One rock comes out, but the other is too deep. Finally, it is decided to cut the frame around the rock. Then cement is mixed by hand and put into the holes to anchor the two main posts.
By the time we leave, both posts are in place and the fence line is getting deeper. They tell us that it will probably require about two to three more weeks of work and that they will plan to send us pictures when it is done. 
We are sorry to leave the project in the middle, but feel pretty good about the brief physical contribution that we were able to make and about the fact that this small church and community will have had some attention from the rest of the world. We take one last look around, say goodbye to Jacobo, Don Roberto and the others and head down the hill for the last time to go pick up the others back in San Salvador.
We fetch the others and bring them with us back to Quezalte, along with Cain Hidalgo and Manuel Osorio, who will be accompanying us tomorrow and who would also like to touch base with this congregation. The parishioners of San Miguel have gathered for a celebration when we arrive, and they have our video set up to play (filmed by our Sunday school and dedicated to San Miguel). We all watch it and then each person in the room stands up, introduces him or herself, and says a few words. They give us each a hand-painted wooden cross and an angel decoration made by the kids. Padre David also gives us a copy of the drawing for the portada and a detailed account of the expenditures, as we had requested.
Then the food comes out. First, we are given a wonderful, warm horchata-like drink made from corn, cinnamon and sugar called "atolito". We each get a plate with baked banana, a scoop of refried beans, sour cream, and rolls. The food is great, and there are several women who love to cook here.
Padre David talks about the cherished plans that the parish has. They would dearly like to expand the school, so there is a plan to perhaps start a small bookstore with a copy machine that will cater to students and bring in some income for the church. They have an area in which they could do this by walling off part of the room in which we are sitting. This is a can-do parish and they are working on making this happen. It is wonderful to see the comraderie and good humor here and we feel very blessed to know these friendly, hospitable people. We exchange contact information as much as we can, to try to keep in touch with them in the future. All too soon, we have to leave and return to San Salvador for the night.
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