- One evening the reading of the scripture was accompanied by six young people braiding three long pieces of cloth into a single piece. The braided cloth was then hung across the front of the sanctuary. It was a nice symbol but what I noticed was that the large scale braiding process was quite reminiscent of the Bluffton Maypole Dance! Perhaps we are ahead of our time
- A young woman from Zimbabwe gave a fine report of her YAMEN! service experience in Bolivia. She had a good sense of humor and delighted the audience by noting that a significant learning for her was that, to her great surprise, in Bolivia, a young man can obtain a wife for free! Such things would not happen in Zimbabwe.
- There are two worship leaders. One is a rather delightfully strict German Paraguayan who tells us rather clearly what we can and cannot do. He is clear about the need for efficiency and order. One night as he started his announcements, which he always numbers, some people started to leave. He firmly reprimanded them with two points. 1-you will miss the information. 2- You will distract your neighbor. No one left after that. Near the end this morning’s service he gave the song leader back the two minutes he had shorted him earlier in the service and said he could even have three minutes. We need this guy to live in some degree of order and harmony.
- Head coverings for women are not the order of the day but there is an interesting range of options that surpass my North American Mennonite/Amish experience. I am particularly intrigued with the following:
- A thin gauzy covering with glitter in it,
- A small black covering, with what reminds me of a small beaver tail on the back
- A large white starched bonnet that is folded into some sort of “Dutch girl” shape.
- As I type this sitting on a plastic chair in the hall our whole area is being entertained by an old man dressed in white suit with gold braid who carries around a small harp and entertains whoever will listen. It is really quite nice.
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