Chapter 1
A Letter to God
Oral Comprehension Check
1.Who or what dist Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer: Lencho had great faith in God.
He was a poor farmer whose crops were destroyed by a heavy hailstorm. Believing that God would help him in his time of need, Lencho wrote a letter to God, asking for 100 pesos to sow his field again and support his family.
His faith was so strong that he truly believed God would send him the money, and he was not surprised when he received a reply—although it was actually the postmaster and other post office employees who collected and sent him the money out of kindness.
2. Who read the letter?
Answer: The postmaster read the letter that Lencho had written to God.
3. What did the postmaster do them?
Answer: The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho's faith in God. He didn’t want to disappoint him, so he decided to help. He collected money from his colleagues and himself, and sent it to Lencho in an envelope, signing it as "God" to keep Lencho’s faith alive.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Was Lencho meprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer: No, Lencho was not surprised to find a letter with money in it. He had strong faith in God and was sure that God would help him, so he fully expected a reply with the money he had asked for.
2. What made him angry?
Answer: : Lencho became angry because the letter contained less money than he had asked for. He had asked God for 100 pesos, but he received only 70 pesos. He believed that someone from the post office had stolen the rest, which made him upset.
Thinking about the Text
1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Answer:Lencho has complete faith in God.
The sentences that show this are:
“It was during the meal that, as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall.”
“God: if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry during the coming year.”
“It’s during the meal – with a satisfied expression – he said: ‘God: I hope it passes quickly.’”
“It’s not even the work of humans, but of God.”
These lines reflect how deeply he trusted that God would help him in his time of need.
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lenchs? Why does he sign the letter God?
Answer: The postmaster sends money to Lencho because he is moved by Lencho’s strong faith in God. He doesn’t want Lencho to lose that faith, so he decides to help him by collecting money from his colleagues and contributing some himself.
He signs the letter "God" to make Lencho believe that the help really came from God, just as he had hoped. This way, Lencho’s faith remains unshaken.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Answer: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money to him.
This is because he had complete faith in God and was sure that God had sent the money. He didn’t doubt for a moment that it came from anyone else. However, when he found less than 100 pesos, he thought that some post office employees had stolen the rest, not realizing they were the ones who had actually helped him.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.
Answer: Lencho thinks that the post office employees have taken the rest of the money that God sent him. He believes that God sent all 100 pesos, but some dishonest people at the post office must have stolen the remaining amount.
Irony in the situation:
The irony is that the very people Lencho accuses of stealing the money are the ones who kindly collected and sent it to help him. Instead of being grateful, Lencho distrusts them, even though they were the ones who acted out of generosity and compassion. This twist makes the situation both unexpected and amusing, which is what creates the irony.
