This morning started very early. Don Jose Luis y Dona Dina said they would be up around 4 and we would be taking a bus to a pool at 5. I was a little unclear on what the agenda was for the day, but I figured I would just roll with it and I’m always up for an adventure.. We were up around 4:30. There was never any discussion about breakfast, but that was okay. The Church which they belong to (and happens to be right next door) has a bus. It appeared that about 30-people were signed up for this excursion. The bus is a former school bus, probably from the US. Here they are known as comionetas or affectingly by the Americans as Chicken Buses. The ride took about 2-hours, but I have to admit that I slept most of the way. I didn’t really know what to expect, but when we got there it turned out to be a sports complex with a gym, basketball courts, tennis courts, a track, a soccer field, and a couple of pools. All pretty run down. We were the first to arrive and it appeared that we had to talk the guard into letting us in (before opening time). As soon as the group congregated, we got started with a prayer service. I wasn’t really expecting that, but again I just rolled with it. The Service took perhaps 30-minutes. About 20-minutes into it, Don Jose Luis asked if I had a camera. He then asked me to take some pictures of the service. No biggie, although I wasn’t sure if, when, or how we would get them developed. After snapping a couple of shots I put the camera away. Not long thereafter, the group congregated near the edge of the pool for three baptisms. This came to me as a bit of a shock and is quite a bit different than how we do it in the Catholic faith. As the three folks about to get baptized moved into the (cold) water Don Jose Luis once again turned to me to be the photographer. Once again, I just rolled with it. I was instructed where to stand and how many photos to take. This all took about 30-minutes at which time it was time to swim. I ended up playing a bit of Basketball and then once I was thoroughly warmed up I went for a swim. We were at the center from before 8 until almost 3. Throughout the day I was asked a number of times to take the photograph of different arrangements of family members. I certainly don’t want to get a reputation as the official photographer for this church, but it was a good way to connect with the locals. I’m still wondering what the process will be to develop it and where the money is coming from (not me). On the way back we stopped for some refreshments. Most of the folks on the bus had coconuts mostly skinned with a hole cut out for a straw. It made for a refreshing drink followed by a tasty snack. I stayed awake for most of the drive back. When I got back I went for a walk and stopped in to see my two fellow-volunteers. Neither had left the village today, but they were both doing fine.
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