Awkward Moment

It might come as no surprise to you that living at a pastor’s house involves attending a weekly Bible study. Living with the Morton’s; however, has added 3 Bible studies a week into my life. Mama Morton says she can already see a holy glow around me. She of course is joking, but it is the most Bible studies I have attended at once in my life. Tuesday mornings Mama and I go to a ladies Bible study (it makes me miss the wonderful group of Tuesday night ladies in London – it’s just not the same here), Wednesday nights is the Bible study at the church in the inner-city, and Thursday nights Mama has opened her house for a neighbourhood Bible study.

My first Thursday night here I attended the Bible study here at the Morton’s home. Being the new strange girl from Canada I had many conversations with the individuals attended, and was also on the receiving end of some typical Canadian stereotypes. For instance, one of the men at the study said to me, in all seriousness, “I can’t believe you are from Canada, you don’t even have a French accent.” I wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. There was also the assumption that I knew every little town that possibly existed in Canada, and that my entire family must play ice hockey (which they do – so I guess some stereotypes are correct). I also had a lot of conversations about the Olympics, which seemed to have put Canada on the map for most Americans. Perhaps that is why I didn’t receive the “Do you live in an igloo” question.

During the prayer request time this couple from Kenya mentioned that their son had died in a gun accident 6 years ago, and that they had just celebrated the anniversary of his death. They also mentioned that their younger son had a particularly rough time with his brother’s death, and that they were hoping to find a nice Christian girl to “fix” him basically. I am sure you can just imagine where this is going. Later as I was having a conversation with them about their son’s death, my age somehow became the subject of conversation. I paid no attention to it, and moved on to talk to someone else.

Last week, Thursday nights rolls around, and guess who walks into the house with his parents; this couple’s 24-year-old son. As the door opened, I looked at Mama and said “You have got to be kidding me; I think they brought their son.” She was just as shocked as I was, but forbid me to skip out of Bible study. Can we say awkward? For some reason down here, parents seem to think that because I moved to Philly for three months to teach little children, I must be a saint, as well as the perfect person to fix their problem sons. They really have no idea. Just another day in the Philly adventure. Mama said she is going to make an announcement at church that I am off the market.