Li Du took a closer look. Isn't this the guy named Marate? They had met at the car dealership. Li Du had made a bet with Marate. Marate had lost the bet and ran away.
Marate noticed Li Du, but pretended not to see him. His eyes were fixed on Sophie.
Sophie smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you here. But are you really happy? Why can't I see any happiness in your eyes? "
Marate was embarrassed. "No, why wouldn't I be happy? I'm always happy to see you. I don't know why, maybe God — "
"Don't, Marate. Don't use God to cover up your lies. That's not good. I hope you can respect my faith." Sophie immediately changed her attitude.
Marate was even more embarrassed, but he still refused to leave.
Li Du thought this guy was quite thick-skinned. If he had reneged on a bet with the girl he liked, he would never see her again.
What about Marate? He came to see Sophie confidently, as if Li Du had lost the bet and Li Du had reneged on the bet.
Their meeting was not a happy one. Marate seemed like he had not given up on Sophie, but Sophie was polite to him. She talked to him in polite terms.
Finally, Marate gave up. Before he left, he whispered to Li Du, "Don't waste your time. Sophie will never marry you. She won't marry a non-white man."
Li Du also whispered, "Then she won't marry you either."
Marate sneered, "How is that possible? I'm a white man —"
"No, you're black. Your heart is so black that it's dyed your skin black," Li Du said.
Marate was furious. He clenched his teeth and said, "If this wasn't a church meeting, I'd beat the crap out of you."
Li Du smiled and shook his head. If it was a normal argument, he would be interested. However, he was not interested in such weak threats. He was like a child. What was the point?
Marate thought he was afraid. He looked at Li Du's back, his eyes flashing.
Church activities in the United States were very formal, especially activities with many participants. Everyone had to participate and contribute.
Sophie told Li Du that this event had been in preparation for half a month. Someone had been in charge of sending out invitations by email, someone had registered the number of participants online, and someone had prepared lunch together.
In addition, there was someone to lead the singing of hymns, and someone to play the piano and other instruments, which required prior practice.
The pastor had to prepare the Bible and preach, and the volunteers had to drive people to and fro, arrange for people to clean up in advance, and so on.
Because they were going to hold a charity auction this time, the organization was even more complicated. Lynch and the other rich people became the people in charge and contributed money and effort.
The auctioneer was a middle-aged man with a loud voice. Li Du knew him. They had met at storage auctions. Smith, Tramp, and other storage companies would ask him to host auctions.
The white glove's name was Louis Luther. When he saw Li Du, he came over to say hello and said, "So you are a member of the congregation. I didn't know before."
Li Du smiled bitterly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not. I'm here to accompany a friend."
Lewis nodded and said, "Is that so? It's okay. I believe that one day you will understand God's call and join our team."
Flagstaff's Christianity was more tolerant. Li Du had never seen such a thing as forced preaching. It was rare in the United States, where religious belief was based on family guidance and voluntary participation.
At ten o 'clock, everyone entered the church.
Li Du followed Sophie and sat in the back. He looked curiously at the decoration of the church. It was actually very simple. There were a lot of Bible stories painted on the glass, many rows of chairs, and statues of the Virgin Mary and the Son of God.
Next was the church activity. First, the pastor preached and preached, and then the children's choir went up on stage to sing hymns.
Sophie sang along in a low voice. Li Du did not dare to open his mouth. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would not be able to stop himself from shouting, "Check, my love in the boundless world."
The series of activities were relatively uneventful. The participants were obviously used to these segments.
Li Du saw that not all the believers were very devout. Some, such as Mr. Martin, were secretly taking a nap.
Mr. Martin sat in the row behind them. He was with Terry and the other old guys. At first, they were quite serious, but after a while, they began to lower their heads in deep thought.
After a while, they closed their eyes and moved their noses rhythmically.
Li Du almost laughed out loud. These guys are asleep!
After the preaching and hymns were over, everyone began to relax. White Glove Lewis came on stage and began to prepare for the auction that was to be held later.
Sophie said, "Some of the brothers and sisters in the church have a difficult life and need everyone's help. However, if we help them, we may hurt their self-esteem."
"Therefore, we need to go through God's hand. The donations will be deposited into the church's account. When it is used, it will be approved by the elders. When it is used up, it will be announced."
Li Du smiled and said, "Since they need help, why worry about hurting their self-esteem?"
Sophie said very seriously, "Yes, we want to help others. However, if it hurts their self-esteem, what's the use of our help?"
This topic could not be argued. Li Du nodded and said, "You're right."
Sophie laughed and said, "I know you may not understand some of our ideas. However, as long as we don't hurt others and don't have bad thoughts, then we can respect each other. Isn't that good?"
This time, Li Du nodded very seriously. He held Sophie's hand and said, "Yes, respect each other. Sophie, sometimes I'm a little too full of myself."
The lady doctor raised her eyebrows slightly and said in a low voice, "No, you never have. Oh, the auction later is voluntary. If you don't like anything, you don't have to raise your paddle. "
It was Li Du's first time participating in a charity auction. This was considered part of his job, so he decided to participate.
After everyone had taken their seats, the auction was about to start.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin deliberately sat next to him and smiled. "Let's get a feel of the atmosphere. You usually participate in auctions. You should be more experienced in this?"
Li Du said, "It's not the same, Sir, Madam. I participate in auctions to earn money. Here, everyone is helping others. The two are very different."
"No, charity auctions are not simply about giving. The ultimate goal is to have a win-win situation. We donate things to be auctioned. It's targeted at people who have a need for these things. It's not just for everyone to fork out money. "
Li Du didn't have to turn to know who it was. It was definitely the young master Marate who couldn't afford to lose.
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