They're back!

Vincent and most of the folks on the Montreat trip - plus Carlos - had just gotten to the church parking lot when I pulled up this afternoon. They looked a little tired and hot. Vincent - opting to skip the indoor football game with me - came home to take a shower and check his e-mail and nap. On the way home and later this evening I got a little out of him: He slept on the floor because there were not enough beds and he lost a rock-paper-scissors contest. There were 4-5 bedrooms in the cabin. There was no washing machine. They went to a couple of worship services and small group activities each day. There were 50 people in the small groups (not very small, I thought do myself). He did not participate in the foot-washing. He conceded that he met some interesting people, from all over the place - one from his old hometown of Bradenton. Aside from those in the cabin and Bridgett - who was preaching all week - he didn't run into any one else he knew. He went swimming in their pool once (in jean shorts and a belt - which came back wet, he said, because he hung them out to dry outside, and then it rained). He said it was quite a bit cooler there than what it was here. He came back with pen marks on his legs (what for? I asked) - he was connecting his mosquito bites. He seems to have worn most of his clothes but not the light winter jacket. He did not use the alarm clock. He didn't sleep that much/well, he said. He conceded that the music was OK. They did sing "Amazing Grace" to the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama" (ironically - a song I heard the same day - by Jefferson TARC Bus (not the "Amazing Grace" part)) (in the final worship service, I know from Jerry's articles- Vincent said - so that's what Jerry was doing on the computer - but we don't know how Jerry had Internet access so that he could send his stories to the news service - Vincent was apparently jealous because he wanted to e-mail with his Danish friends - though they were mainly at the large-scale Roskilde music festival.). They also sang an Oasis song (but he didn't sing, as always - except for when he did Karaoke at Bearno's). Did he and the other boys in the cabin get along? (Did Jerry report any problems? he asked - he assumed that's why I wanted to check in with Jerry, before we left the parking lot.) I thanked Jerry and Mary and said hello to Eva before we left. It seemed like everyone was in a hurry to get home (including Vincent). Was it a repeat-able experience? We didn't get into that (and we may in fact be going back to Guatemala next summer (if Vincent isn't already in Denmark or at college)).

-- Perry