Gracias a Dios... A-maine!

Noah's Ark - Guate Style

All the children waiting for the parade to start

Cute little girl dressed as a clown, standing up in the back of a pick-up (safe, I know...)

All the Angels and Noah... can't have angels without Noah!

I experienced my first Evangelical Church experience. My host mother invited me to attend church with her and her girls. I went, a little reluctantly, only because once you form some sort of bond with a particular church here you are pretty much telling everyone in town what church you belong to and after my experience I think I'm stuck.

I have to say, I have never been in a church with so much sadness. After praise and worship everyone was on the floor crying, wailing, it was so sad I started tearing. I wasn't sure if the tears were for forgiveness, hardships or if that was how they worship here. To my surprise I understood almost all the sermon, I kept thinking to myself this would help with my Spanish. The best part was when they would say Amen, they pronounced it A-maine (like the state). I smiled from time to time at the odd sounding word because the enfasis was on the 'maine' part.

An embarassing part of my attendance was when the pastor introduced me to the congregation. Then he asked me to participat in a "caminatta", a parade. Well, I couldn't just say no. The more I think about it, I should have. This parade was for all the children in the church, to celebrate "all the lovely children of the world" so to speak. They asked me to be an angel. I think, no, I know I was the oldest "child" in that parade, and also the tallest. I walked all around town, dressed in all white with angel wings. On top of that the pastor had a sound system on his van and was using a microphone to announce to the town that I was an American working at the health center... if I already didn't stand out enough. There were a few times when I contemplated running down a side street or using the excuse I "need to use the bathroom" and never come back. Well, I didn't. But as soon as it was over I went home and retired my angel wings :)

Overall, the parade was really cute. The kids were dressed from anywhere from princesses, ducks, clowns, rabbits, lions, and the majority were put inside a pick-up truck decorated as Noah's Ark. I'm not sure yet if I'll call this my church, I guess you could say I'm still looking... but it was definitely an experience!! A-maine!!