Lunch on Monday was an affair to remember, much more than our usual packed sandwiches. An elderly couple in La Limonada invited us over for a delicious meal of frijoles y arroz- traditional rice and beans. The setting was intimate, to say the least, as ten of us crowded around the table of their one room house. The couple, who now live on their own, have had more than their share of hardships. After serving us heaping servings of her homemade food, la abuela- grandmother spoke of the days when she had only 5 Quetzales a week (less than a dollar) to feed her children. Although she is illiterate and her husband is completely blind, together they are complete. In her words, she is his eyes while he is her cane, her rock to lean on. Ever the mother, she wouldn't allow the girls to help with the dishes and even reminded me to drink chamomile tea in the evening for my sore throat. Their strength and love was contagious and I think we all left with much more than full stomachs.

Tuesday was our very first small business workshop! Anticipations ran high Monday night as we put the final touches on our translated worksheets, organized personal folders, and wrote out discussion questions. We were happily relieved when seven (out of the 20 to whom we sent invitations) women from the community turned up for our lesson. The women were extremely engaged and interactive throughout the lesson, sharing their small business struggles--the instability of sales, the need for product diversification, and the trade-off between managing work and family. The best part of the lesson was a "visualization exercise" where we asked the women to close their eyes and picture their lives in five years, free of obstacles and full of opportunity. The women described themselves as proud and content, living in stable households and handling employees while they had time to watch their children grow up. It's exciting to think that allowing them a glimpse into the future will help them to believe in its possibility.

At the end of the workshop we urged the women to think of a friend they trust to bring to our next Tuesday session, in which we plan to focus on savings and personality assessment. Currently our goal, after receiving a small savings deposit from each borrower, is to give out loans to two borrower groups of five women each after our third workshop!