How is it that one soul can touch your heart so much?
Last weekend our contacts took us by ferry to a little Guatemalan Caribbean town, Livingston. Our contacts thought that it would be a nice way for us to spend our day off. We spent a little time at the beach where we swam in what looked like “chocolate milk”. We also spent some time exploring the town. And we were able to spent the night on the floor of a local church. The plan was to leave early the next morning by ferry for our casa en Puerto Barrios. Somehow word spread quickly that we were in Livingston and we were invited to a traditional Guatemalan wedding. Some folks headed home to Puerto Barrios and the rest of us stayed for the wedding.
We walked about 20 minutes along a paved road and then we walked/slid for about 5 minutes down a little trail that looked as though it didn’t lead anywhere. And then all of the sudden there it was – a cinder block church, with unfinished openings as entry ways and windows. There were tamales wrapped in banana leaves cooking over an open flame. And there were a bunch of children with eyes full of expectations! Alex and I both agreed that It was as if we stepped back into Africa for a time.
After setting our bags down we immediately began to lead children songs – such as: Making Melodies, Shake a Friends Hand – they love it when we sing songs that make us look like fools. I told the story of Jonah. And then it was time for the wedding to begin.
There wasn’t enough room in the church for us, so we simply peeked our heads in through the window openings. After a while we ended up sitting on a patio area outside of the kitchen and the church. There was a little three month old girl named Roxana that completely captured my heart. I don’t know what it is about this year, but whenever there is a baby around my heart is pulled to it and of course I end up holding it! Within the first few minutes of seeing Roxana I had her in my arms. She was beautiful, as was her young mama.
