May 5, 2008

  The highlight of my week was Nina Martinez baptism which almost did
not take place. The Martinez family awoke to their dog suffering a
horrible and painful death. As for me and my companions we showed up to the
church at three o'clock (when the baptism was intended to occur) to
find that no one was at the building. Eventually, however, the Martinez
family showed up and we were ready to do the baptismal service when a man
from Georgia came into the building and told us that he had drove all
the way from Savannha to refinish the church basketball court and he
only had four hours to do so. After much discussion and bargining he
somehow agreed to allow the baptismal service to take place. It was in the
words of Shakira Martinez (Nina's mother) "a hot mess."