After three and a half wonderful but exhausting days of worship, workshops, play and floor-pouring, we gathered Wednesday evening for a closing worship service with our Kek´chi brothers and sisters here in El Estor. Thursday afternoon we head back to Rio Dulce (a stopover on our way back to Antigua, where we´ll arrive Friday to complete our stay here in Guatemala.
The closing service was at Iglesia Presbiteriana el Espiritu Santo, a small, rustic (compared to Arca de Noe) church in the San Marcos section of El Estor. Like Noah´s Ark, Holy Spirit has a corrugated tin roof, but the walls are made of sticks and the floor is bare concrete. It has a raised ¨chancel¨with a simple podium draped with a flowered tablecloth, a banner across the back wall depicting a dove descending on an open Bible turned to Luke 8:1, and about a dozen vases filled with artificial flowers lining the front. The sanctuary seats about 80 in a space about a third the size of Arca de Noe. The place was packed -- standing room only.
We were greeted by the house band -- two keyboards badly in need of tuning, an electric bass, and drums. The host pastor welcomed us with words from Psalm 133: ¨How good it is when God´s people dwell in harmony.¨Two thirds of the service was music (we offered up a stirring rendition of ¨Contad al Senor¨). We were particularly moved by a young women who sang a lovely song with about 30 verses and then prayed in a quiet voice that trembled and frequently broke. Nearly all of the songs were sung to vigorous hand-clapping. We (and the Holy Spirit, we´re sure) felt right at home.
Jane spoke briefly (ably translated by Doug): ¨Our Bible teaches us many things, but you have taught us better -- about welcoming strangers, generosity and hospitality. We thank God for you and for being our brothers and sisters.
Our time together concluded with the giving of gifts to each of the six Kek´chi congregations here -- ubiquitous CHPC plates (which are now omnipresent in El Estor as well), soccer balls, matted photos of our grupo taken by Ian, an autographed Doug Yeager flute CD, a parachute (for flinging small objects of your choice up in the air), and suitcase full of arts and crafts supplies (suitcase included).
As a congregation, we will surely be discussing next steps, because each one of us feels a life-long connection to these new brothers and sisters. And that´s what it´s all about, isn´t it -- becoming the ONE body of Christ?
Thanks for all the wonderful comments you are posting here. We treasure them. May God continue to be with us here. May God continue to be with you there.
Jerry
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