Sunday

I went to church this morning with a Guatemalan woman from school. Before I left, since I had been getting so bit up lately, I decided to use a bug repellant lotion someone recommended to me last June.  In spite of the bottle saying it was odorless, I still felt a bit like a walking bug lamp when I walked out the door.  I almost expected to hear little creatures sizzle in the air around me as I walked by.

Finding the first bus went fine.  I needed to take two buses to get to the woman's house. 

We had an unexpected delay at one point as the driver got out of the bus to use his phone...

I was kind of relieved that I wasn't the only one looking around, wondering when the bus was going to start up again.  (Sometimes I'm not sure when I'm just being an American and when it's a legitimate oddity that other people wonder about, too.)  This time, though, I definitely saw other Guatemalans looking around.  Not in an angry way, but like they were wondering when we were going to start moving again.

Later, on the second bus, I saw a man in full clown costume (including face makeup) crossing the street wearing a backpack.  He looked tired.  I wondered if he has to walk to work dressed like that everyday...That would have to be hard. 

The church I visited was very different from the one I visited the week before.  It was simpler, more toned down.  Much smaller.  The people were very friendly.  I think I was greeted three times by people up on stage.  First by the worship leader.  Then by the person giving the announcements.  And then by the pastor in the middle of his sermon.  He asked my name and welcomed me again.  Then he asked me to give the English translation of the word "sun" since he was using the Spanish word in his sermon. 

He told about all the things we have to be thankful for, all the blessings of God that we have all around us.  The list was substantial: life, health, the earth and its abundance, knowledge and understanding, daylight and emotions...

When he mentioned emotions, he dragged one of the speakers for the worship team partway across the stage.  It's just a thing, he said.  He can move it, but it doesn't feel anything.  We, on the other hand, are blessed with emotions.  That hit home.  I have come to understand that emotions are an essential part of being, but I still straddle the fence on actually feeling thankful for them.  But if the alternative is being like a machine--cold and senseless like a speaker system--he has a point.

It was neat to visit the church as an invited guest.  I wasn't on the outside looking in.  I was escorted front and center--literally.  The lady who greeted me at the door put her hand on my back and steered me into the sanctuary.  Then another lady took over and led me to my seat.  (The woman I came with followed behind--and apparently made everyone aware of who I was because shortly after I was sitting down, the people on stage already knew my name.)  The worship leader, after the first song, made eye contact with me and welcomed me, saying that even if I didn't understand the words, he was glad we could worship in the same place.  (I was kind of glad they sang some songs I already knew because, like many Guatemalan churches, I didn't see an overhead with any of the words.)

A group of liturgical dancers were at the front throughout the time of worship.  They wore flowing pink gowns and used scarves, tamborines with streamers, and colored flags depending on the song.  It was a very participatory service.  Even the nine-year-old granddaughter of my friend threw her arms up in the air from time to time to call out, "Gloria a Dios!"  The pastor asked the congregation questions and gave them many concrete examples to go with his lesson.

The people were so very warm and welcoming.  I had a number of people say "Dios la bendiga" on my way out of the church, and even the pastor stopped to ask if I thought I might be coming back again. 

I told him I enjoyed the service, but I think next Sunday I might visit the church I attended when I lived here before.  I've been kind of homesick for it lately.