We knew before we came to California that Pastor Julio and Patty were going to be in the area while we were here. They are presenting a family conference in a Hispanic church in Hayward; so we told them we would come to one of the evening services.
Because the rush-hour traffic across the Dumbarton Bridge between Sunnyvale and Hayward can be crazy, we left about 3:00 p.m. and arrived with no major delays. We were able to explore the city and walk through the rather quaint, but almost empty (more shops were out of business than were open) stores. The city hall and other government buildings were quite impressive, though.
We also had time to drive to Garin Regional Park and do a bit of walking. We weren't dressed for hiking, so we didn't wander far from the parking lot. These two pictures don't do justice to the scenery--the rolling hills were much greener than they appear.
Iglesia Bautista La Roca wasn't too far from the park so we were one of the first to arrive. Pastor Julio and Patty are in the area all week talking about how to have strong marriages and families.
We felt right at home in the Hispanic service! Pastor Julio even played the piano for one of the hymns we sang.
After the service we went out to eat with Pastor Carlos, his daughter, Rebeca, (his wife, Isa, is battling cancer and her counts were too low for her to come to the service), Pastor Julio and Patty. Carlos and his wife are both Salvadorans who worshipped at our church in San Salvador before moving to California to plant their current church.
