Tsachi sisters!

"Our bodies may have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the body of Christ,"  (I Corinthians 12:12)

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Another delightful visit to the Tsachi church in Cóngoma (where I spent numerous years growing up) has warmed our hearts.  The last few times we've gone, when I've worn the native skirt, none of my Tsachi sisters have...and when I haven't worn it, some of them have!  But this time, three of us matched! 

 I remember as a child watching the women of the tribe work their looms, making the colorful striped skirts for the females of the family, and short, navy blue ones for the males. (They were basically rectangular, no seams, buttons or zippers - just wrap-arounds.)  Nowadays, they don't need that back-breaking work.  They can just buy some already-woven fabric, make the skirt and put a zipper in!  One thing that always fascinated me was how they managed to keep the skirts on!  The men used a type of sash, but the women just tucked the one edge of the "tunán" into the other.  I never saw a woman's skirt come loose, in spite of all their activities.  (Mom never managed that; she used a big safety pin to keep hers from falling down!)

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The couple in the background (whose little girl Lulí I played peek-a-boo with) are much younger and don't wear native dress.  (Few youngsters do!)  The husband (Ismael) has decided he would like to look into becoming a pastor!  Although there are leaders in the churches in various Tsachi areas, none of them are actually pastors, so this would be awesome!  They are going to look into the most practical and efficient way to get him the training he wants. 

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The three of us in the picture match in another way...a much more important one.  It's something that we share with the others who, together with us, sang to our Lord (in Spanish and Tsáfiki), listened to a teaching (from the Word, via my husband) and prayed together.  We all believe in Christ!  This Bible verse says it really well:

                                                      "In this new life 
           one's nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; 

                                                such things mean nothing. 

                                  Whether a person has Christ is what matters, 

                                                 and He is available to all."

                                                                                                    (Colossians 3:11  LB)