Death and Resurrection for the whole family

The Body of Christ was joined by the five children of Valeriano Melgar Marroquin and Nicolasa de Melgar in their baptisms two weeks ago. The night before the baptism their father, Don Victor and a few others were up until 2am getting the church building of the parish of El Divino Salvador del Mundo in El Mirador. They removed the dirt and trash from the floor of the church building that had prevented us from worshipping in the church. The adorned the church with palm branches and flowers and covered the floor with pine needles. On the altar was placed brand new white candles and the cross. The worn blue benches were brought over from the clinic/ library where we had been worshipping along with plastic chairs, and were ready to receive worshippers.

When the morning of the 5 adult baptisms dawned, the baptized arrived dressed in their best dresses and suits. Walking on the dirt road into the colonial, past the gang signs spray painted on the cinderblock walls, they entered the church whose doors were open for the first time in I do not know how long. Family, those chosen to be Godparents, members of the parish and members of the community filled the awaiting benches and chairs.

As soon as the Pentecostal church a few doors down saw that the doors of the Lutheran church were opened, they began to sing… amplified for all to hear and to drown out the Lutheran worship. In Guatemala… the different denominations consider one another different religions and many try to undermine other religions with propaganda or load singing as was the case this time. It made the service a bit challenging but thinking this would happen the Melgar family brought some sound equipment to the service as well.

They were baptized, with tears in their eyes, in the eyes of their parents and of several in the congregation that day. Don Victor and Doña Lupe, two members that had walked with the parish in the valley of dry bones, held the Christ candle from which their light, the light of Christ, was taken and given to each one. When it came time to commune, they looked at me… can we? Can we eat and drink? Yes, you are invited… to invite in Spanish means that you will pay as well… and it is true with Holy Communion, Christ invites us to the table and pays the ultimate price for this Last Supper.

Afterwards all who were present were invited to the home of the Melgar family to celebrate the baptisms.