Friday, April 29, 2011

Local Fruit Update

A few weeks or about a month ago I posted photos of our amazing papayas. Well, they're even bigger but still not ripe! And new papayas continue to appear. This tree is a papaya machine! I figure they'll ripen while Mona is visiting our daughter and grandchillins. Plus, mangos growing across the street in the little park. Plenty fruit in Panamá, and not them nasty apples and pears.



Look! A baby papaya!


Triduum at St. Christopher's

I'm almost recovered from the Triduum. Actually, what really did me in was two funerals this week. So I stayed home today so that I can function by Sunday. All our services were bilingual, except for the Easter Sunday morning services. The Lovely Mona made a photographic record of the activities at San Cristóbal.

Maundy Thursday
We did all the stuff everyone else does: feet washing, Holy Communion (we used matzohs), placing the Reserved Sacrament in the Garden of Repose, and the stripping of the altar. Everyone left in silence.












Good Friday
We began the Service of Three Hours with the Stations of the Cross. Then we used the Good Friday service from the Book of Common Prayer. Guillermo Johnson and I chanted the Passion from the Gospel of John. We sang hymns, we had meditations, and we clocked in at just ten minutes over three hours.

Singing the Passion According To St. John



The Great Vigil of Easter
We lit the new Paschal Fire, we entered the church following the Pascal Candle. Since Padre Cáceres was helping out in Bocas del Toro, I provided all duties required of clergy, including those deaconal duties such as carrying the Pascal Candle and singing "La Luz de Cristo" thrice and singing the Exsultet. We welcomed little Moisés Brown into the Family of God through baptism. We decorated the church for Easter in the dark and then, with the announcement of "Alleluia! Christ is risen!" the lights came on and we welcomed the Resurrection, ringing bells during the Gloria and any time we said alleluia.



Moisés' baptism





Alleluia! Christ is Risen!




Easter Sunday Morning
Six am the next morning we had our Sunrise Service in English and La Misa de Pascua de Resurreción a las 9:00 am. Between services we all enjoyed Bun and Cheese, like ya do. After the misa en español we had an Easter Egg Hunt. Then we all went across the street to Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal for the ECW Easter Brunch. A wonderful time was had by all!

Bun and cheese!



Hillary sings the Gloria

Evan recites a poem

Easter Egg Hunt




Friday Random Top Ten

Ya pushes "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .

1. I'm Going Home Ten Years After
2. I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down) Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3. Rabid Child They Might Be Giants
4. Lady Stardust David Bowie
5. Hate & War The Clash
6. I Don't Mind The Buzzcocks
7. Bad Mofo King Hell
8. Wild Flowers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris
9. Everything Will Be Alright The Killers
10. I'm Slowly Turning Into You The White Stripes

I gotta admit: I was a bit worried that this would be another "List From The World's Oldest Man's iTune Thang" but, Thank God! King Hell, The Killers, and The White Stripes made an appearance. King Hell is one of my favorite new bands; a very interesting combination of Metal and Funk and Crazy Imagery. They do an incredible copy of Hungry Like The Wolf. Their song, however, is NSFW, as one might suspect from the title.

Watchoo listenin' to?

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Episcopal Church Women's Easter Brunch

Sunday, after la Misa en Español, the Episcopal Church Women of San Cristóbal held an Easter Brunch across the street at the patio of Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal. We had lots of music, an inspiring talk, an Easter Hat contest, door prizes, and a wonderful lunch! Here are photos, featuring the beautiful people of Parroquia San Cristóbal.
















Mrs. Marie Clark, President of the ECW

Directora Marcella Dickens, Mistress of Ceremonies

El Gran Combo de San Cristóbal, with the Lovely Mona


Mr. Rupert Neblett

A Servant for Christ!

Mrs. Hortensia Atkinson was our speaker

Elder Marcellino Marshal

Marcellino and the Combo

Time to eat!



Winners of the Best Easter Hat competition

Children drawing the numbers for the Door Prizes

Mrs. Moore did the "Thank You's."

I See You!

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