La Oracion Soprendida

Sunday I somehow turned off my alarm in my sleep, and thus woke up at the time I had planned on being ready to leave for church. Panicking, I threw on a dress and shoes, and ran out the door. I looked cute enough, I suppose, but I was embarrassed that on my last Sunday in Spain I wore my glasses, and no makeup.

In church I performed my usual "play piano for everything" duties -- including primary! Everyone wished to talk to me and wish me a safe journey home, and then gave me phone numbers and addresses in case I ever needed a place to stay on a return visit. After it all, my 5 single friends and I went to the apartment of Susanna, where we had a combined farewell dinner for Andrea (who was leaving the day after me to go back to Columbia) and me. Around 5:30, I forced myself to say goodbye -- because I did, after all, have 3 exams the next day, and needed to study at least a little. Of course, when I got home, "study" turned into "2 hour nap" and "gossip with roommate for 1 hour" ... but hey, it counts.

The most interesting event Sunday, though, was the horrible surprise sprung upon me during Sacrament meeting. I had played for the hymns, and then listened as the Bishop announced the program for the day. At one point, he asked Andrea to come up and bear her testimony before leaving -- I worried he was going to ask me, too...but he didn't. "Oh good," I thought. "Andrea has been here for a year, I'm just the little Ameriacan who's been here for 2 months. And they know my Spanish isn't that great. He must have decided to just leave me alone. Yay!"

But then, right before the end of the meeting, the Bishop stood up again, announced the final speaker, the closing hymn, and that the closing prayer would be given by..."Carolina Homer." My eyes boggled, and I poked the chorister sitting next to me. "Did he just say that I'M giving the closing prayer!?!" I exclaimed (in a whisper). She laughed and nodded. "He could have warned me!" I panicked, while digging out my notebook and pen from my scripture case. As the last speaker talked about...something (I was too preoccupied to even bother trying to follow him), I scribbled out a prayer, word-for-word. I didn't want to pray in front of the whole congregation and mess up a conjugation! After a rough draft or two, I rewrote the final product neatly...and then wondered if this counted as cheating, or maybe it was a lack of faith on my part to be afraid to pray without notes in my second language. I decided to memorize what I had written instead...reading it over and over before it came time for the hymn. Afterwards I offered my prayer...concluded it, and then relieved I hadn't died, scampered back to hide behind the piano and play prelude.

When I told this story to Kristi's presumptive fiance (I'm going to be kind of sad when they actually get engaged, because I won't be able to use my coined term anymore! sad face :( ), he looked a little surprised. He thought it was funny that I was most terrified of having "spiritual" conversations in Spanish, when in the MTC, that's the first thing they learn and practice -- they're terrified of the normal street conversations, which don't bother me at all. Fascinating!