Sponge Bob, Channel 40 & Palm Sunday

This weekend was a smorgasbord of the sights and smells of Tarija. On Saturday, we went to the Mercado del Campesino and Mercado Bolívar, two markets absolutely full of busy merchants hawking their wares and determined shoppers. We met up with Victoria, the group member we prayed for on Friday night. She was selling a wide range of kitchen dish rags and wash cloths (I spotted Sponge Bob in the pile!), which she says she's found to be much more successful than the scrub brushes she also has for sale. Renting a permanent spot in the market costs about 300 bolivianos ($43) a month, which is quite expensive, so she is a comerciante ambulante (mobile merchant).

I was delighted to find a jewelry stand where I could make my requisite touristy purchases... there were semiprecious stones such as agate, amethyst, lapiz lazuli, freshwater pearls and quartz, which the owner said he purchased in Santa Cruz. Great stuff. I also observed a yellow-orange flower which Sara said is always sold at this time of year called 'flor de Pascua' (Easter flower); I think this is a marigold in English? Along the way, we ran into four other Five Talents group members!

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and we went to our first service at Jesús, El Buen Pastor (Jesus, the Good Shepherd) Anglican Church, led by Rev. Dr. Walter Barrientos. This is the fastest growing church in Tarija! In fact, the woman who I sat next to on the flight to Tarija knew about the church. I then went to the Channel 40 local TV station where I appeared live (gulp) on a show to talk about Five Talents. Sara and Eva's father, Santiago, runs the program. I think it went alright!

In the afternoon, we met up with Padre Walter and a small team from the church to go up to the Anglican mission area of La Santa Cruz, in the neighborhood of Pampagalana, to celebrate Palm Sunday there. This is the poorest area I have ever seen. The folks who live in the neighborhood have homes that are about 8 feet by 8 feet, made of tarp and wood. The Eucharist was celebrated after a procession up the hill, where the children scattered marigold petals and huge palm branches had been planted in the ground. La Santa Cruz seemed enthusiastic about beginning a savings group together!

~Hannah