Resting during the heat of the day
Arriving at Leon we went to the home of one of the native Christians. The food was strange and new to us, but it came from a heart of love. The next day was Sunday, and a company of dear ones, who had been baptized in the Holy Spirit, met for worship. Brother Schoenich preached to them, admonishing them to stand true. They had no pastor, but were going on with the Lord.
Next morning we went to the market to buy food for our three days’ trip on mule back. We found some of the saints there. They were reading their Bibles, and witnessing for Jesus in the midst of the priests and thousands of Catholics. They had their walls covered with scripture mottoes. When saved, these people make good soldiers for Jesus, enduring hardness joyfully. They remember the pit from whence they were digged.
Bidding them good-bye, we prepared our lunch, mounted our mules, and rode until about ten o’clock that night. Stopping at a camp ground for coretta travelers, we lit our candles, ate our meal, strung up our hammocks, and lay down to rest amid the lowing of the many oxen. All coffee and freight is moved to and from the interior on oxcarts (corettas in Spanish).
The next morning we made our toilet in and by the large trough where the mules and oxen were watered. After eating breakfast under the shed of the native hut, we were off for our day’s travel.
At noon we stopped again at a little house on the hillside for food and water. While waiting for the meal to be prepared we strung up our hammocks for a rest. Our bodies were very tired, as we had never ridden horseback before. By this time we felt better down than up. Brother Schoenich, being accustomed to these trips, did not tire so easily, so he gathered the family together and preached to them. It was the first time they had heard the Gospel.
About five o’clock we again mounted our beasts, and traveled until midnight. We passed over some rough country, the many wild parrots and birds seemed to be screeching and singing to the dusty, wayworn travelers. Once in a while we got a hot breath from the great volcano in the distance whose smoke we could see billowing up towards the clouds.
Again we had supper by candle-light, then hung up our swinging beds in the corridor of an adobe house, and rested till the dawn, when we heard the now familiar alarm, the braying of our faithful mules, who seemed to want to be traveling. We arose, dressed, and soon were off.