Missions, Mass, Music

When I saw Missions Game on our orientation itinerary for Saturday night, I was a little nervous because I thought we missionaries would be pitted against each other in bizarre competitions. I imagined being quizzed on Bible verses, races back from the river carrying buckets of water, and an intense arroz con frijoles cook-off.

As it turns out, the Missions Game entailed sitting in the sun, drinking beer, eating peanuts and watching the San Antonio Missions play the Arkansas Travelers. Meghan is a huge fan of baseball, so she loaded us into the van and took us to the stadium to watch a minor league game.

First thing we did was have our picture taken with the giant H & B Grocery Bag Mascot.



Here are Courtney and I in the stands:



These are some shots of the game:



This may have been our last time seeing a live baseball game for a while, and was nice American activity. However, it had a Texas flair to it as there was a giant Jalapeno mascot running around and the concession stand sold "pickle pops"--frozen pickle juice. Unfortunately the Missions lost 2-4, but we enjoyed fireworks at the end.

Sunday may be the Lord's Day, but it felt rather ungodly this morning as I woke up at 6:30 to go to San Fernando Cathedral. We attended a special mass for missionaries and the spirited, bilingual service helped to awaken me. In the gospel, Peter walked on water toward Jesus, but began to sink and feel frightened until Jesus caught him. It was appropriate for missionaries, as we may be walking on unfamiliar territory, but can rely on Jesus's support. Here are some shots from the cathedral:



After Mass was another first--tacos for breakfast in the Cathedral Courtyard. Then, Sister Martha took us on a tour in which we explored artwork in the city. Sister Martha has long reddish hair, wore a bright, flowing purple dress and a simple wooden cross. She reminded me of a 60's flowers-child and she gave a post-modern, feminist, peace-loving tour of the city. We visited the Cathedral's museum to see its history and went to a huge Mexican restaurant decorated with colorful murals. Inside of Charity Hospital, we saw pictures depicting its history. Outside the hospital, we went to a park where those interested in drawing attention to social justice issues often gather and we viewed this mural:



We ended the day with a visit to a colorful Mexican-style marketplace where a band played outdoors, children drank slushy fruit drinks, and vendors sold dresses, sculptures, hats and all kinds of other glittery things.





Finally, we returned back to MACC to make Sunday a much needed day or rest.