Does your nativity set include a giant tortoise?! (Teresa)

As we planned our sabbatical year, some of you asked, "where will you go to church while you're away?"  We planned to play this by ear, assuming several things:  the girls would be bored in any church service until their Spanish skills improved; Kent and I would be able to find things to appreciate in most any worship service, and, if nothing else, would have a chance to learn more Spanish; and no church community could replace our home church during this year.

So far, we've attended the nearby Catholic parish twice with our host family.  They were surprised that we wanted to attend, since we aren't Catholic.  But, it is a sure way to get a better feel for this family and community.  (And no one here has heard of Mennonites!)  We've already realized that our girls would likely prefer Catholic mass over Evangelical worship (the other option) for two main reasons:  it's predictable, with a written liturgy; and it only lasts 45-50 min, with a short sermon (10-15 min).  The other option would have a much longer sermon, if not more than one!

The first thing we noticed about this parish (from the outside, then inside) is the lovely, brightly colored, child-like murals which cover many of the walls.  In the murals, the Gospel stories are set in the Galapagos islands!  It's surprising (for us) to see a large tortoise and a marine iguana in the stable at Jesus' birth :)  And lovely to see one of the disciples playing a native flute as Jesus teaches a crowd on the beach.  It's a significant and beautiful way to depict the manner in which God (always) comes to us, as church communities, within our contexts and cultures.  (As soon as possible, we'll get some pictures of these murals on our blog.)

Another way that we're finding to integrate our worship experiences across cultures and languages is by learning the Lord's Prayer in Spanish.  I appreciate the bridge this creates to my two main worshiping communities in Goshen:  Faith Menno, our home church; and Waterford Crossing, where (when in Goshen) I regularly lead worship services and a women's Bible study group.  Earlier this summer, the women's Bible study group finished a study series on the Lord's Prayer.  Now I pray this prayer in Spanish, in the midst of local followers of Jesus.