Palm Sunday at St. Pauls and after

Sorry no pictures tonight but I have a lot so they will come later.

Our Palm sunday service began with blessing of the palms and then a procession around two blocks of the community. We had extr palms to give out to people passing by and pink flyers to invite people to our Easter Celebration next Sunday. The youth and many others were very active in giving out palms and many youth and I gave out the flyers too. Taxi drivers were stopping to request palms; one man ran dow srom the second floor to get two; at another apartment a family lowered an empty rice bag on a rope to haul up palms. There were many other similar stories. We had a two motercycle police excort with at least one of the moter cycles with a palm leaf attached to the back with the pink flyer. I have many pictures.

We arrived back at the church and contined the service with a traditional reading of the passion story. We have trained some new acolytes and they (6) ranging from 12 year old or so to one in the tercera edad (older). They will all serve next Sunday.

After the service we had our breakfast as always and gave sandwiches, cookies, and juice to those of us who wouldn't have dinner on a Sunday evening, something that we do every week. There are 3 or 4 of us to make sure this happens for about 15 to 25 people each Sunday.

The third Sunday of each month it is my turn (as a vestry member) to help could the offering money - so we did that.

Then I bought a cell phone card (to add money to a cell phone) for a sick friend so she could make as well as receive calls. I also took her a bulletin and a palm.

Next was lunch and the restaurant was uncharactically packed at 2 PM. I singed up for a table for 1 (frequently I go to this restaurant (Pencas) by myself and enjoy lunch and reading La Prensa, one of the news papers here. Today while witing for a table I started a conversation with a English speaking man and his wife. She had worked -voluntered - at an orphanage in Bolivia. After they got a seat they realized I was alone they can back and asked me to join them and I had a delightful lunch. We exchanged e-mails and phone numbers.

Next on the list was a visit to a nursing home where a member of St. Pauls (almost 88) and a friend (81) live. I took them crosses made from palms. We sang, I told them about the service, we did a short form of evening prayer. They both speak English (and Spanish) but do have many visitors or other people to speak English with. While there I made a new friend Tony Lee, who speaks Spanish and is younger but probably had brain damage or is retarded. He will have to become one of the people I visit.

By now it was 5 so I drove back to Gamboa to visit my friends human and animal (cats and dogs)

Pictures will come soon.

Tia Sue