We could not believe what we drove up to with Mick, the entire area was rock with small shacks dotted all around. The 'chapel' was simply some uprights covered in estera, straw stalks woven together to form a matting cover. Nevertheless, this was their area, this is where they are building their homes and in time this is where they will build their chapel - and be extremely proud of their achievement.
We waited patiently for the congregation to arrive, one man in a white shirt went up the hill with a whistle to signal for them to come. The main problem was that the local gerente, the area manager, called a working bee on the roads and if you do not attend you will be fined. There were some very embarrassed faces as we drove past the workers on the way up the valley. The gerente himself even hid behind a pile of bricks - he also should have been at Mass. The working bees are supposed to be on the Sundays when Masses are scheduled for other centers.These two little girls arrived and just mingled with all the other people.
Mass finally began a good hour after the stated starting time and would you believe - in the long run nobody seemed to be too upset!
