Confirmation Service Evening

We have been working toward the Confirmation Exercise which is tonight at the Panizo home. There have been last minute details to take care of. Many of the details would have been easily handled by Big Brothers or Sisters at a camp in the States. Revising and printing off schedules is complicated by the effort to do as much as possible in Spanish plus we don' have a printer.

The term 'first communion' is still in use here by some of the believers. It is  term which comes from a previous Catholic Church connection. One website related that one must be free of sin in order to take a first communion. Inherited sin will always be part of us so being free of sin is impossible although one could be free of name sins for a time. The experience at confirmation camps is that both youth and staff can carry name sins to the camp. So the starting point for partaking of the Sacrament of the Altar cannot be perfection.

"Take eat, this is my body, this is my blood, drink ye all of it."

 

The website also related that one must have up to two years of classes. In comparison our experience in the States is that most children have gone through Sunday School for nine years and have been at services a lot. Some have been at youth or other camps also prior to confirmation. General knowledge at the beginning of a Confirmation Camp plus the training at the camp gives the confirmant a good basic Biblical knowledge of the doctrine of salvation. Couple the above with Christian home teaching and most youth from North American or Finland know a lot about faith matters especially the need to put away sin as it attaches. It is difficult to judge the depth of religious training the Ecuadorian believers have.

Our confirmation school in Quito covered only nine lessons many based on the Small Catechism. What we hope will be 'confirmed' is that the individual child is in faith and desires to remain in faith through the power of the gospel of the forgiveness of sins. The knowledge level may not be as high as in the States, Finland or even in another church here.

As usual we waited for some people to come. In this case some lot lost trying to find the Panizo home and one of the students was late because school goes until at least 6pm. While waiting Walt reviewed the schedule for events for the evening and made a comparison between the camp just held and a typical North American camp. He noted the distances that some people must travel to get to a confirmation service and that the students remain at the camp day and night for ten days. He also mentioned the term 'first confirmation' and its Catholic origins.

The communion sermon was based Matthew 26:17-30 the betrayal of Jesus and the institution of communion.

Miguel translates for Walt.

 

The examination of the students went well. They had a reference sheet but each of them took turns answering including Edgar who has developmental delays. He is difficult to understand even for the Ecuadorians but nearly always had his hand up to answer. He doesn't realize he has a handicap. His answers were correct too.

Edgar, son of Veronica Ayala has a learning disability.

 

Edgar looks for the answer!

 

Pictures were taken both before and after the services. A gift of Uljas' book Treasure Hidden in a Field and Tappio Holma's book Jesus the Son of God were presented to the students. Avis and Walt also gave each one a personal gift card with money . The cards were made on Microsoft Publisher. Walt went to three different 'papelerias' looking for cards. Card is not the right word to use when asking. It is 'tarjeta'. Usually the proprietor came back with an envelop. One shop had 'cards' but not for confirmation. They directed Walt to the 'farmacia' to find a card. The pharmacy lady just smiled and said no.

About 25 people attended the confirmation exercise. It was a mix of backgrounds and people. Edgar's father has a PhD in mathematics and teaches at one of the universities. Edgar's sister Kathy, our tutor also came. Another guest was a chemist and yet another a student of economics. Some visitors we had not seen before at services but somehow they knew to greet with Paz de Dios. It is an unusual situation that needs further discussion at some point. The seed was sown into many types of earth. Today it is sown. Maybe tomorrow another will water it.

Edgar(l) and Anais (r) look for answers as the congregation follows.

 

Dylan was on ten years old but very intelligent. His mother Norma is seated behind him.

 

Edgar's sister and father attended the confirmation exercise.

 

Anais' mother has died and is raised by her mother's sister.
She lives in the same neighborhood as Teodoro and he makes sure
she gets to services.

 

Dylan Torres was a very good student and wise beyond his age.

 

The confirmants: Dylan, Anais, and Edgar.

 

Family members and friends with the confirmants and teacher Walt.
Confirmation is over and our prayers are with the children. The children seemed very happy.

 

After the services Alex Panizo gave a heartfelt welcome to all the visitors. He noted that the congregation is small but there is a willingness to help each other temporally and spiritually.

Alex Panizo welcomed everyone to the confirmation exercise.

 

Tomorrow we head to Riobamba and from there to Salinas, Balsapamba, Chiquicha, the hacienda and then back 'home' a week from this Friday.
Walt and Avis