Epifani

We had a wonderful Epithany service at St. Pauls. It included the confirmation of 22 or maybe 24 kids who have been having classes with Walter Smith and others for a long time. Many of them know me by name and call me Tia Sue because I have been sitting with various groups of them on Sundays and helping them follow the service and learn to be quieter - especially during the eucharist. Many (most) of the kids are from the neighborhood of the church - which is really great.
Each kid needed to have a god parent from the congegation. On the 30th one of the boys came up to me, greeted me, kissed me on both cheeks and asked me to be his godmother. At practice on Saturday we were sitting together and he asked me if I would 'look pretty' the next day. After explaiing that I am 'a little like a nun' (because I dress simply and don't use lipstick) I assured him yes. I borrowed earrings from Jo Ellen and a necklace. I think I passed. His sister who was his community godmother was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with firworks on it!

The service lasted for 3 hours. Bishop Julio was his old self (he has been sick). After the service there was a ligt lunch planned but the food never arrived this time! (At a December event it arrived 3 hours late.) We had something for everyone however. Yasuri (one of the neighbort hood young women who was confirmed 2 years ago and I made the sandwiches for our feed the hungry project and we gave them out after the service discretely in small bags. They get a sandwhich, juice box and cookies.

Today is a holiday (on a Monday instead of Wednesday). They call it una dia feriada puente when they celebrate a day on other than the date and it is close to the weekend. January 9th is Dia de los materes - when a number of students was killed while raising a panamanian flag in the then canal zone.

Tomorrow I am going to youth camp for one day to get Graciela set up with her dialysis machine and her diet (no salt, no phosforus, little liquids).

Tia Sue