January 12, 2008 -- Saturday evening

Neglecting his dinner and reading Noah's Ark And Other Bible Stories, Coloring and Activity Book.

I asked his parents for permission to take his photo...and when they didn't understand me, I asked in Spanish. My Spanish is not good, but they decided to humor me and, on a roll, I asked follow-up questions.

Libro favorito?
La Biblia

Pasaje favorito?

The dear reader explained to me that he had the passage memorized only in Spanish and expressed concern that my Spanish probably wasn't good enough to understand! He was really tactful, at least I think he was....I didn't totally understand.

I expressed gratitude for his concern, muddled out some defense and said (lied) that I could understand better than I spoke....so, while his parents listened proudly, he recited the passage for me.

He was right--I didn't get much. It was noisy and, yes, he was right, my Spanish is pathetic. There was something about a boy and a path. I let my imagination fill in the context of a great adventure.

Luckily, the Bible has one-to-one chapter/verse correspondences across all languages and he gave me the address : Proverbs 22:6.

His mother coached me on telling them "voy a leer." I'll go and read it.

The next day I found the passage and, yes, there is a boy and there is a path but it's a metaphorical path and the adventure...it was not exactly the way I imagined it from a kid too busy to eat his dinner.

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

!!!! No wonder his parents listened so proudly!

Gracias!