On Monday I took one of.my normal bike rides, but I did it with Titus in front, which although he is small, it adds a lot, both for.endurance and balance. He did good and I didn't give up. We made it out the back of our neighborhood and through the rubber trees to another neighbourhood. We played at their playground and a grandma came out to see Titus. She have us what we often get, an open invitation that we never know if we should take. She said I should come by with my wife. She did something unusual - she gave her house number (I can't count how many times I've been invited to someone's house without knowing their house number, street name or.even neighborhood!). So I knew she was.serious.
We had thought about walking that neighbourhood the previous week, so we said it was good timing. We went.on Friday, and didn't do much walking before we visited her family.
We've been here 10+ years and it was still culture shock. A very simple cement house. Paint so worn most was.either black (dirty) or worn off. The corners of.the doorways were rounded from wear. The floor was uneven cement, no tile, carpet.or vinyl cover even.
We.forget that there is still such poverty here. The outside of the house was misleading. In the house lived the grandparents, their single parent son with 3 kids and their single.parent daughter with two kids. The son has a gardening job while the daughter has no job. The grandfather lost an eye years ago from an accident, and a stroke caused half his body to function at 70%.
The grandmother was chipper and friendly, and we.hope our visit encouraged.
This is a picture of.the playground and the back of their house (directly.behind the slide), and of.the grandmother.
