Sunday was our big day at Santo Sacramento, which is one of the congregations we'll be working with this year. We arrived early enough for coffee and medialunas (sweet croissants), and met the pastor (Ángel), his wife (Chevala) and several other of the parishioners.
Soon it was time for church--the first church service of our missionary year. It was amazing because I felt pulled in so many directions at once. On the one hand, they used the same Lutheran liturgy I had heard so many times back at Saint Andrew. On the other hand, it was all translated into Spanish--which was neat--and the hymns were all new to us. On top of that, Pastor Ángel gave a very fresh sermon about the letter versus the spirit of the Law. It was a quality sermon, to be sure, but what fascinated me was the interactive environment--people would speak up from the pews with questions or comments that came to mind as they listened. It was refreshing to see that kind of give-and-take, which was made possible by the small, intimate setting.
Right before the end of the service, Kate introduced us to the congregation, and we each said a little bit about our specific assignments for the year. Then, we broke out the guitar and drums for a song that we had prepared the night before (Truly I Believe). It went over really well, with people approaching us afterward to shake our hands and meet us.
After the service, we were greeted 'officially' by a feast of empanadas (meat-filled pastries) and pizza, which are two very typical Argentine foods. We got to meet more of the parishioners, who were very warm and happy to share stories. We performed a couple more songs, and ate empanadas until we were about to explode.
When it was finally time to leave, we were exhausted but grateful to our hosts. It was great to feel so welcome in a place that can often seem so foreign.
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