Harvest is a big time for the church. It reminds me a bit of Thanksgiving in the U.S. except that it is a church event rather than a family event. It harkens back to a time when this was more of an agrarian society. (There aren't many farmers on Utila these days.) The first fruits of the harvest were brought as an offering to the Lord. People really did bring produce and even livestock, which were then sold. Most of the funds for the annual budget come at this time. This year 150,000 Lempiras (U.S. $10,700) was raised. This was the church's goal and is up over last year.
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A view of the sanctuary from the balcony. Suspended from front to back and side to side are wires to which hog plums and greenery are affixed. They grow wild in the bush. |
| My favorite decoration was the bunches of bananas hung at each entrance. I thought that looked especially cool. |  |
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Josie, who is visiting from the states, and her grandmother Miss Iris who cooked for our teams this summer (and cooks a meal for me every day!) |
| A table placed up front in the chancel area. Fruit still figures heavily in Harvest, especially in the way of decoration for the sanctuary. The bananas, oranges, grapefruit, avacados, pineapple, hog plums and whatever else was brought (I still don't recognize everything I see here) was sold on Monday during a community lunch. |  |
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Preacher Jeff in the Harvest pulpit. (I wondered if I could inconspicuously nab a banana if I got hungry during the services.) |
| Instead of 2:30p.m. Sunday School we had a special Harvest celebration; everyone was invited to bring their gifts forward in a procession. Parents pin money to their children's clothing which is then collected up front. Each group was invited to sing a song; some individuals had memorized recitations. Pictured is one of the youngest classes. |  |
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We had excellent participation by the youth of the church. This is half of the group that came forward. |
| Even the adults processed forward to present their Harvest gifts.
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And they sang for us too! |
