Saturday May 26: Taking it all in...

Today provided a welcomed opportunity to sleep a bit later than usual or head our for a morning jog: both popular activities among pockets of this group! We gathered at 10 a.m. To take the metro to La Rambla, a historic district loaded with Artisans selling their wares. La Rambla extends from the city center on south to the Mediterranean and includes a monument marking the cite of Christopher Columbus' departure in 1492. After 3 hours of scattering for sightseeing and lunch, we gathered again and took the metro to Basilica Sagrada Familia (Basilica of the holy family). Here we encountered the breathtaking architecture of Antoni Gaudi. Begun in 1882, the cathedral is scheduled for completion in 2026. It is an active construction site, but also is already a house of worship, not to mention one of Barcelona's premier tourist attractions. Many of our members lingered here, taking in the grandeur and intimacy of the place. Under the cathedral, a museum (spanning the footprint of the massive exterior) tells the story of its progressive design based on the anatomy of plants, leaves, and especially trees.  Tomorrow we have the privilege of gathering for worship with two Anabaptist congregations that have altered their individual routines in order to welcome us. We will have a time of worship together followed by our concert and then a "pica pica" (fellowship meal). One congregation is native to Barcelona, the other is a group of Honduran immigrants. With all it has to offer, Barcelona is proving to be an exciting culmination point for a wonderful tour.  -Bradley Kauffman, Newton, KS