It is 7:01am in the morning and I am pretty much ready to go. I have my beige skirt on, my old navy t-shirt and my hair up in a towel. I actually had a warm shower this morning. It was an odd sensation. I really wasn't used to it anymore. I can smell bacon, I believe Bertha is cooking us Bacon and Eggs. I just went into Lindsay's room to wake her up, but she was not there. I think she is downstairs helping Bertha cook.
After yesterday's church service I came back with a lot of questions. Bertha and Frank seemed open enough, so I began to ask them questions about their church. When Lindsay and I first entered the church we both said that we felt naked. Most woman had a head covering, all were wearing dresses that had sleeves to at least half their upper arm, some to the elbow. Every female's hair was slicked in the front and then those without head covering would wear a clip or pony tail near the middle back of their heads, and then another one further down. Bertha told us later that this is just the way they learned how to style their hair. Instantly I noticed that many people were staring, especially guys and children. The church was packed so Lindsay and I got to sit in one row, while Bertha sat in a row two in front of us, and then one of her daughters sat in the row in front of us. I then noticed that the males sat on one side while the females sat on the other side. Lindsay said she noticed this first. Later on when Lindsay and I asked our questions about the church service, I asked why they do this. Bertha said it has always been this way. Bertha wishes she could sit with her husband.
The first thing Lindsay and I really wanted to know about was the significance of the head covering. I didn't even know what it was called. They told us that it is written in the bible 1 Corinthians 11:5-6. Frank told us that some girls get out of wearing the head covering by claiming verse 15 which says that if a girl has long hair she doesn't have to wear one. The head covering is for church members and married woman. She told us that the head covering is moreso just for prayer and church, but she finds it easier to just wear it all the time. Just put it on and forget about it. They also wear the head covering to honour their husbands.
In the Mennonite community most of the woman do not wear wedding rings. Bertha didn't understand the significance of a ring. She said that the head covering is the symbol that she is taken. They don't wear jewelery at all. Frank told us that a lot of things are just how they grew up. He thinks that these things don't really make a difference so they are not worth fighting or arguing about. This is just the way they were brought up.
One thing I want to point out is that not all Mennonite churches are the same. The church we went to is the very first. It was a very big church that split in 4 spreading around Spanish lookout. They all believe the same things. There are some Mennonite churches where they can wear their hair down, have wedding rings and so on. Also anyone can leave the Mennonite church when they want, they can get out of membership. Although there are some people who found the Mennonite church to be too strict. They left making tons of new churches around Spanish lookout.
One funny thing Linds and I just asked for interest sake was how their teenagers date or ultimately find who they are going to marry. We asked this because in church, they don't sit near each other or talk to each other after service. When do they get to know each other? Bertha told us that she met her husband by working at the shop. But the main way teenagers would meet is because they all would walk everywhere. So for example, Frank would ask to walk with her. So cute eh?
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