At 8am we began our day by sharing breakfast with our host family. This consisted of chicken tamales, sweet bread and orange juice. Sleeping was somewhat challenging because you can clearly hear all of the street noise, if you come here I highly recommend ear plugs! At 9am we drove to Shekinah where we enjoyed their faith gathering. The music was spectacular. I even managed to record one hymn that they had added drums to, and I have to say, they totally breathed new life into what can feel like aging songs. One interesting moment was after announcements where everyone got up and said hi to each other and gave wonderful hugs to all of us! It was so unique to spend the time hugging every single person in the room.
After the gathering our team was invited outside to share in a conversation about the history of their community. It was a fascinating story beginning with a dream. The women of the group all felt that they were equal with women and wanted to belong to a group that agreed. Unfortunately in many Christian circles women are seen as people who should be quiet and allow the men to control things. The women of Shekinah dreamed of a gathering where their voices could be heard and their leadership could be encouraged, they wanted their children to to have more interaction with the adults and they longed for a gathering that wasn’t so structured so that they could allow the Spirit to move and to leave room for their friendships. This led to many discussions at their early community of faith and later led to a painful separation. The women of the group told us that there are no bitter feelings when they see their old friends. They smile and hug one another but share a deep sorrow that they are no longer close like they once were.
