Good Friday

Well it has been a Good Friday. It started off with breakfast in the commons. On the way there I was walking behind the sister act and mentioned that I had missed the Scripture reading. They said there was a totally new paradigm in their apartment since yesterday’s “incident” and they would only be whispering from now on. So their newest nickname will be the Silent Sisters. We were laughing about that as we strolled into the commons and Peggy remarked that she was glad everyone was so cheerful.
The children began arriving and Glenda brought out some sacks for sack races. The kids are so appreciative and so enthusiastic about whatever it is that we ask them to do. The sacks were then shared by two kids in a modified three legged race. I offered to be Glenda’s partner but she claimed her skirt was not a suitable garment for such activity.
The kids were supposed to be picked up early to go over to the Center where a photo was to be taken of all the families. We were invited to join in the photo shoot but when some unnamed individuals heard photography they took so much time to get spruced up that we arrived just in time to see a huge crowd dispersing. Now that I think about it I did not hear one complaint from anyone on the team about being excluded. Lunch was almost ready so we stayed there and I was able to meet a few more parents. They are so gracious and can’t stop thanking us for our sacrifices to come and take care of their kids. We must be doing a pretty good job because the kids never stop smiling except for one boy who cries when the day is over and he has to leave.
At lunch we have been sitting at a reserved table because in other years the team arrived after the missionaries and found that the food which is served family style was nearly gone. Several people have made tongue in cheek remarks about our exclusivity so today we broke the mold, removed the “Reserved” sign and scattered throughout the dining hall. I met Gretchen Harro who I may have introduced before. She is a cousin to my niece’s husband Ted Harro. My niece’s name happens to be Gretchen also so when they email they think it is a hoax. I greeted Gretchen with a big hug. She is tiny and I almost picked her up. Then of course I had to follow suite with her translating partner Nancy. We sat together at one end of the now unreserved table and I sort of introduced the team from afar. We got to talking about this blog and about Face Book. Gretchen says her family is pressuring her to join and I said I understood because some of the same people pressured me to join. At one point I mentioned I was chatting with my brother on face book and Nancy started laughing right out loud for I was surely pretty far from her stereotypical image of teenage girls gossiping on Face Book. As I described the antics of the team they were very amused and wanted to see for themselves what I was blogging about. Before we left for the short walk home the Sister Act stopped by and chatted and then the hearty half of the team walked back through the hazards described yesterday while the rest took the van. Because of the early dismissal we had extra time which I took advantage of by getting a good hour long nap.
The games we played today were Circle Ball Toss and Four Squares. Some of the kids had played a different Four Squares but then again I make most of the rules up as I go so it is not hard to believe.
While Chris showered I stretched out on the bed for a few minutes which turned into another short nap. Supper was bagget bread for roast beef sandwich with a bowl of French sauce for dipping. Along with that was a huge salad platter with delicious tomatoes and avocado wedges drizzled with a dressing and a huge fruit salad containing some of the plant ripened local pineapple and mangoes and other fruits. I was enjoying a great cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake donated by one of the parents when someone said we needed to get to the Good Friday Services if we were going. I ended my dessert, hurried to change out of my shorts and ran up to the van. It was supposed to be my turn for devotions but I figured we would go to the service instead. After driving around the Center checking various locations we decided it must have been canceled so we came back to the commons, helped finish the dishes and I gave a short devotional from the end of Isaiah 42 and the beginning of 43. To start off I played “They Should Have Cried Holy” in honor of Good Friday and ended with “Peace in the Valley”. Afterwards Ann, Carolyn and I got talking for a while about why we were in Africa and where God might be leading us next.