Yesterday was the 32nd anniversary of Iglesia en Transformación. We will celebrate all month, but yesterday was the official party that kicked everything off.
One of the coolest things about this church is that it was founded by a group of buddies who were growing up together. Now their kids have grown up together and their grandchildren are starting to be born.
They ask everyone who had been with the church for 32 years to stand up, then 30 years, then 25 years. etc. By 15-20 years more than half the church was standing. The kids of the first generation are all at least that old and more people also joined in along the way.
There was a great slide show of all of the original people when they were young. You could see they just really enjoyed each other's company. They weren't just doing church things, they were living life together. I think that makes my church in Honduras very special.
The celebration last night was packed. They added more chairs, but there were still people standing in the back. The kids didn't have their bible classes. They all sat quietly and calmly for over 2 hours! My favorite part was that the kids from the Breakfast Program had watched and helped us prepare all week so many, many of them showed up with their families for the first time ever! I was so excited to see them walk in! When I took my envelope up for the collection I was swamped with hugs and kids wanting to introduce me to their mothers. It was awesome!
There were also more than 50 people there from the church in La Tigra which is our other location. La Tigra is way up in the mountains. A big school bus brought them all down. Many of the people who live there are isolated and don't get down to the city much. I noticed when we went to La Tigra for youth camp that the people stared at me a lot as I drove by in my car. I think they don't see many light skinned people.
Yesterday I was seated in front of the people from La Tigra. Some of the mothers and a lot of the tiny kids seemed fascinated by me. Fany said it was my pretty dress. But I know it was really my light skin and "smooth" hair. When I first came to Buen Provecho the kids used to want to pet my hair. I just realized they don't do that anymore. I am not as fascinating to them anymore. But I like that. They think of me more as one of them now. Sometimes I forget that I am not indigenous here. It takes things like the kids from La Tigra to remind me.
After the service they served a delicious dinner and had a beautiful cake. I was with Fany. Her daughter Laura was tired so we went home early. After they ate dinner at their house they came over and we all sat on my bed and colored and talked. Laura loves to draw. She has already filled one whole book so I found another book of blank pages and gave it to her.
Laura has a cow that her Grandfather gave her. It is kept on her Grandfather's land in the country. Last week Laura's cow had a baby. But where its front "wrists" would be it can't straighten its legs. It is learning to walk now, but it walks on the back of it's "writst" with its hooves folded under. Laura named the cow Blanca, even though it is male. I saw a picture and it is really cute. Her grandfather is spending lots of time massaging the leg muscles. They are giving it calcium too, hoping the legs will straighten. They think it happened because there was not enough rain, and therefore not enough nutrients for the unborn baby.
I hope Laura's cow will walk properly soon. I don't know what will happen if it starts getting big and is still walking like that.
Today is Sunday and I have a whole day free with no obligations. Fany and Laura are going to the farm. I think I will go for a run. Yesterday I ran in my neighborhood and just as I was getting tired I turned a corner to see a huge rainbow over the mountains. It wasn't so bad finish my run uphill with that rainbow in front of me. Today I am going to try to do double what I did yesterday. And read. Maybe watch a movie. Possibly mop the floor. But that might be stretching it. I've got a good dinner planned with pasta and some fresh veggies I need to use up.
It's nice to have a free day once in a while.
