take notice.

This past weekend was a wild ride.

Friday I woke up feeling sick and disgusting, but went to the church that afternoon to help decorate for a wedding that would be on Saturday. We were there for several hours, blowing up balloons, thumb-tacking tulle bows onto the pews, and moving chairs, tables, and desks around. While in the middle of doing all of that, more people started to arrive for the rehearsal…for the graduation of the Grenada Fundamental Independent Baptist Bible Institute (which takes place during the school year there at Maranatha) that would be on Sunday!

Saturday, Kemisha and I went to the church in the morning to finish decorating, then we walked to the home of the bride’s sister’s family where we would get ready and help the bride and everyone else get ready. Everyone was running behind; so by the time the bride got to the church, it was almost 3 o’clock pm: almost an hour after the ceremony was supposed to start. But everything ran smoothly after that. The bride was glowing and the groom was all smiles, and I had a blast taking pictures and helping in any way possible.

Sunday morning, I filled in as the musician at Solid Rock Independent Baptist Church (one of our sister churches). We had a short afternoon back at the apartment, mostly making sandwiches and cutting up cake, before we were picked up for the graduation ceremony. On the way, we had issues with the van. It was fun and funny at the same time, even though we would be late for the 4 o’clock pm ceremony. Indeed, the ceremony did not start until almost 5 pm. I ran sound, which was fun! And then I helped hand out snacks afterward. It was chaotic, frustrating at times, but I loved it. We took pictures and hung out and laughed and laughed afterward. There was no evening service, so we got home on the earlier side.

Today was technically my last day at the preschool, since tomorrow is graduation. Those little girls are so precious. I’ll miss their little attitudes, quick-wittedness, and shining smiles. I left the preschool to meet Pas in town to supposedly get a ride back to the apartment; but that turned into walking around town with him and some friends to run errands and grab some food. It was a blast! I love the carefree spirit of the culture here.

I am fully LIVING. I refuse to ignore the details. I will take notice of small acts of kindness, like our neighbors offering me homemade juice or fruit they just picked that day. I will take notice of how I smell like a coconut after a shower, between using real coconut milk and coconut-scented conditioner. I will stand in the rain with my hands open wide, looking heavenward. I will play my guitar and sing praise to the Creator under the stars. I will hug a child who knows my name even if I don’t know theirs. I will smile at the teenage girls who walk past me and stroke my hair. I will take picture of lizards and squeal at bugs and watch the sunset. Because I am alive. And I am living in Grenada for the next month.