Another very special highlight of Bariloche was our visit to a little church the evening before the Curanto. We had been to Easter mass in Mendoza at a big cathedral the weekend before, and to be honest it was a very somber service and not at all what we are used to for Easter. So Pat found this little church when he was out taking pictures; it looks like it has been entirely hand carved of beautiful wood, and you had to hike up 71 steps (yes, I counted) to get there. The evening service was packed, and it is hard to describe the warmth and enthusiasm of the people there - many young people, kids in boy scout/girl scout uniforms, just a really friendly group of people. So when the sign of peace came, Pat and I gave each other a kiss and put our big American hands out to greet those around us, and realized too late that we were being offered a kiss on the cheek from the sweet teenage girl and older woman next to us ... which they withdrew when they saw our hands and just shook them. We were so ashamed. Everywhere, people kissing strangers as well as loved ones, and we shook their hands. It was over in a second, but we wanted to take the second back and try again, this time pretending we aren't from Minnesota, where you wouldn't want to do anything too familiar or call attention to yourself. The service was in Spanish, so we didn't get all of it, but we got the important part: when people care about one another, it shows. A very special evening. We found ourselves thinking about our friends at our own church, the Newman Center in St. Cloud, and the blessing they gave us as we left for our trip. We are so thankful to be a part of that faith community.
No comments:
Post a Comment