Growing Up Independent Fundamental Baptist: 26 Years in Review Alissa Kuster 0 I’m born on a Thursday. My mother puts me in a green velvet dress that barely 昀椀ts 2 and takes me to church that Sunday. First Baptist is brown brick and built on a hill. 3 Every Sunday, I wear a dress with tights. I love pink, 昀氀ower patterns, and polka dots. 2 The tights are for modesty, but I don’t really understand what that means. 3 I know most of the songs in the church hymnal. 4 When we visit my grandma in the hospital, my parents 5 let me choose which ones to sing. She has Alzheimer’s but still remembers the words. 6 My favorite one is “Onward 7 Christian Soldiers.” I like to swing my arms back and forth while my mother plays the violin. Onwing twisten solders, [a] Marchin as to war, [b] Wid the cross of Dedus goin on before. [c] 4 Sunday school is for bible stories. Mrs. B lets me attach felt animals and people to a 昀氀annel board as she tells me about how the Earth was made in seven days. 2 She talks about how one man built an ark, and that a 昀氀ood swept sin from the Earth. 3 I like him because he saved all the animals. 4 I also hear about Adam and Eve. 5 They lived in the most perfect garden with all the 6 fruits they could eat. One day, a serpent (Satan) came to 7 Eve and convinced her to eat a bad fruit. She brought the 8 fruit to Adam. Eve tempted Adam. 9 I wonder if this is why the daddies make all the decisions?