AMEN! Bread Chorus at Modern Elder Academy

One of my favorite activities at Modern Elder Academy was bread-making.  Each day, two people are in charge of baking the bread for the day and preparing two sponges for the next day.  Baking is my thing, so I'm psyched.  We're even encouraged to customize.  I'm on for Thursday morning, with my partner, Deborah.  I arrive a few minutes before 6:45 am, a little nervous, never having made this recipe. It's supposed to be an incredibly simple, foolproof...  The directions are on a laminated sheet in the bread cupboard, along with the previous day's sponges, flour, measuring cups, salt, and yeast.  The sponges are on the top shelf in two big bowls, one red, one blue, with the maker's names on blue painter's tape.  I study the directions and start peeling apples for mine.  There is a moment of crisis when I can't find cinnamon, but no self-respecting Mexican kitchen is without cinnamon, so I know it has to be there somewhere.  Sure enough! Deborah decides on figs and almonds for hers.  We chop up our stuff, add it to the dough, fold the dough over once, sprinkle flour on top, cover it with a cotton towel, and stick it back in the cupboard to rise for 2 hours.  Whew! So far, so good! Next instruction:  at 8:45, pre-heat the two dutch ovens for 15 minutes.  We put on the oven and make sure the pilot lights.  We leave. I come back at 15 minutes.  Deborah, crouched down by the open oven, says, "it's bad, but not hopeless." My heart sinks a little.  Will we be late?  The directions time it to the minute to be ready for circle at 10.  Shikes! Looks like the pilot went out.  OK! We're still ok!  It's 9:00.  This time we put it on, make sure it's lit.  Heating well, we walk away. You guessed it!   At 9:15, the oven is cold.  Now, we're really up against it. What's going on?  A compadre reminds us that the strong ocean breeze sometimes blows out the pilot. Oh! Teambrain saves us.  We close the door out to the oceanside veranda and re-light the oven.  This time, we stand there until we're absolutely sure.  The breads are delicious! I am so excited at giving out fresh bread that singing "Amen" spontaneously breaks out.  Everyone joins in.  Glorious.  Fresh bread, community and song!  Bless you, Modern Elder Academy!  And bless you, dear Reader, for coming on this journey with me.