Feliz Cumpleaños

Birthday Guys

Sunday morning Bible study at Chinandega’s Church of the Nazarene began at 9 a.m. with greetings and singing—a few hymns and lots of syncopated rhythms that Marlo tells me are montuno-- repeated pattern of notes or chords with syncopated moving inner voices and a differently syncopating bass line. (Don’t be impressed. I don’t understand Marlo’s explanation either.)

After the singing, children depart for their own classes, and 50 or so adults remain in the sanctuary. Assistants distribute a two-page handout, and Pastor Paulino teaches today’s topic: addictions of all kinds.

He uses a blackboard and teaches inductively—class members read aloud from the Bible and the handout—and answer questions readily. I am surprised by their boldness in a group so large.

Around 10:45 the children rejoin us, and two men—both senior citizens*—are called to the front. The woman who is facilitating today’s class says a few words I don’t understand, and the first man, stout and leaning on a cane,  pulls cordobas from his shirt pocket, first bills, then coins. The congregation counts the money aloud: cinquenta, setenta, setenta y uno, setenta y dos. . . until they get to 76.

This gentleman is donating a cordoba for each year of his life.

To my surprise, the count for the second man—crew-cut and lean—the count goes higher—to 79.

Each takes the microphone and speaks to the group—one briefly, the other lengthily from handwritten notes.

And when the entire group sings “Feliz Cumpleaños,” the tune is unmistakably “Happy Birthday.”

What fun!

*Spanish apparently has its own political correctness in using terms for age. Our Spanish teacher told us we should use the word “los mayores” for senior citizens, not “los viejos.” “ Los viejos”  is insulting.