Traditions

One of the traditions here that I have come to love is the way people greet one another. Anywhere I go, as soon as I or the other person enters the room, I recieve a kiss on my right cheek. It doesn't matter of they are children, teenagers, or grandparents. Kissing on the cheek is such a precious gift; it's like I am instantly welcomed into their family. And I am! They are my family because we are all part of the family of God. It doesn't matter where you go in the world, you have an instant bond with any brother or sister in Christ that you meet. I have found this to be true in every circumstance. To a lesser extent, it's like if you found yourself walking the streets of Tokyo alone, and you suddenly saw someone wearing a shirt that said "Roll Tide" you would instantly give a sigh of relief and know that you had found a friend because you have a great thing in common: your home. And that is what all Christians have: the same home. Sigh. How wonderful!

Yesterday we had a celebration in Zapata, and there were more children at this celebration than any of the other ones! Because there were so many guests, not everyone got thier own bag of presents. But everyone got something, even if it was just a bag of dulces (candy). Florencio and Jenny worked it out so that I will be able to go to, I think, all of the celebrations, and I am so grateful for the extra time and effort they are both putting into me being able to go. Today Jenny is taking me to meet Juliano, and he'll be taking me to the celebration.