Tsachi peace...prayer...and peek-a-boo!

We had been waiting so long for this!  Due to ill health, family visits and home repairs, we had missed making the trip to visit our brothers and sisters in the Cóngoma church.
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I was struck by the atmosphere of lightness and peace that I felt. (Especially after what had happened that morning - see below.) I think part of it had to do with the young couple on the left in the picture.  Apparently, they had recently become reconciled, and the husband seemed to radiate contentment.  We sang in Spanish, and a little later I led them in some songs in their own tongue, Tsáfiki.

When it came time for the offering, Primitivo (church leader - far right in the picture) was asked to pray.  It turned out to be one of the highlights of the evening for me!  Since I can understand some Tsáfiki, I could follow a lot of what he was saying.  In  sweet and sincere, tender  and touching  faith, he started out "Father God, your Son Jesus..." and went on to recognize God's ownership of everything, and how all that we have comes from Him; what we give now is such a small, small return.  (After the meeting, I told him that it was a blessing to hear his prayer in Tsáfiki.  He told me that when asked to pray, for whatever occasion, and whoever is present {Tsachi or not}, he always prays in Tsáfiki.)
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During the meeting, the little girl you see in the photo above (18 months) was hardly still for an instant.  I was sitting right behind her and her parents (the couple "on the left"!).

Trying to engage her to calm her down some, I started a bit of peek-a-boo with her! (Among other things.) Her attention span was pretty good, for her age, but she'd come and go. (Later, Germán told me that, from the pulpit, he saw that others were watching us.  I thought I was being rather subtle!  At least it didn't distract too much from the message, as we both noticed that there was very good attention being paid!)
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After the service, we spent the informal "social hour" talking, eating Cassava Cake (yuca...with coconut - really good!!) that I had made, and taking pictures.  (As usual!)  As we said good-bye, we were given a whole head of plantains!  We use them green, but once they ripen, they are delicious prepared in an air fryer!
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This lovely time did much to lift my spirits after what had happened that morning.  Alone at the house we stay in, I went outside to take some pictures...and heard the heavy front door slowly swing and clang shut, pushed by the wind that blew through the screened windows!  My heart sank. There was no way to open it without a key.  Virtually everyone on the campus had gone to church, so I was alone.  I looked around for a possible hidden spare key.  No luck.  So I walked and walked and rested in the hammock...all I had was my Kindle, but not my glasses, so I couldn't read!  Finally, three hours later, people began arriving back, and one of them kindly brought a spare key and let me in.  I was able to rest a lot less than usual before heading to the Tsachi service, so I wasn't sure how I'd cope.  But, as you have read above, we had a truly lovely time together!
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I often think of John's vision of the great crowd he saw gathered in the last days.

                     "They were from every nation, tribe, people and language. 
                      They were standing in front of the Throne and the Lamb..."   
                                                          (Revelation 7:9)

                          My Tsachi brothers and sisters will be part of that crowd. 
                                                      So will I.  Will you?