Today Kim and I visited a new church. In the fall I went every week with my host family to their church -- it's a big non-denom church with a lot of people and a lot of clapping and people falling on the floor (this culture in general is just more..."charismatic," I guess). Anyway, so I liked the church alright -- some weeks it would be a little too much for me to handle with people dancing and speaking in tongues etc., but it was okay and I really do like the pastor and his wife. Anyway though, we decided we'd try out a new church this weekend because both of us are used to traditional Lutheran churches...so although they don't have any Lutheran churches here, we found a Christian Reformed church one day when we were out walking, so we thought we'd go there (Calvin College would be proud). Long story short, we found out when we got there that there was no service till 6, so we left to go in search of another one. Someone had told me before there were two CRC churches in the area, and I knew the other one was by the park somewhere, so after a little searching we found it. So we walk in at like 10:15 (found out later it started at 9), which was a bit awkward considering there were like 15 people there and we were an hour and 15 minutes late; not to mention that we already attract enough attention as is, being the only white people in the city and all. It was hilarious though because one of the 15 people there was one of my students, and he basically looked at me walking in like I was a flying pig or something he was so shocked to see me. Priceless. Well, in the end it turns out Sunday school there is from 9 to 11, and the service is from 11 to 12:30, so I guess we just waked in in the middle of Sunday school (although I'm not really sure when the school ended and the service began because no one left or came the whole time). Anyway, so the church service was going fine (besides the awkwardness of walking in and everyone staring...how do I get myself into these situations...), but I was a little surprised when they started pouring a liter of grape pop into mini cups for communion. I mean, grape juice is one thing, but grape pop? Then again, I feel like nothing here surprises me anymore. Although it was a bit weird when they started handing out the extra mini cups to random little kids to drink...I'm no theologian, but isn't that not allowed or something?
Anyway, I also started teaching swim lessons this weekend and it's pretty much been the best thing that's ever happened to me. Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but not really: a) now I get to use the pool for free every Saturday and Sunday; b) I get to practice my Spanish some more (why was Spanish swim vocabulary never a unit in my Spanish classes?); c) I get to teach little kids to swim; and d) I have new friends.
So the gym teacher at our school told me he was going to start teaching swim lessons at one of the hotels around here (it's a pretty small pool, but can't have everything) this Saturday (9-11) and Sunday (3-5) for the next couple of months, and he asked me if I wanted to help (ever since all of us teachers went to a pool to swim one time and I beat him in a swim race everyone thinks I'm a professional swimmer...really it's just no one has pools around here so no one ever really learned how to swim). Anyway, obviously I said absolutely. So it's been the best! There were like 4 or 5 kids on Saturday, and just 2 today. They are all elementary-school age, except the girl I was teaching today who is only 4 (who is the cutest little kid ever). Anyway, her mom was in the water too helping her, and was then like, "I never really learned how to swim either..." So then we were teaching her to swim too...and then the other mom who was watching her son was like, "Hey next week I'm going to get in the water too...I've always wanted to learn to swim!" So basically it seems to be turning into a mother-child swim class! And then the mom was like, "I was just going to enroll in an English class but if you want to teach me instead..." So I gave her my number and may or may not be starting an ESL class (she was like, would you be able to teach like a couple of us...? Apparently she has a bunch of friends who want to learn English). So who knows if that will actually happen...things in Honduras are like that...but she seemed serious about it so we'll see. Either way, I'm looking forward to next weekend already.
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