Church in Tanzania!

Since it is Sunday today and I am preparing to leave for church, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the wonderful church services I attended while in Tanzania. I was in Singida for Easter Sunday. This was a wonderful bright sunny dry and hot day!! We had quite a few from our medical team that wanted to go to the Lutheran church and several that stayed in our compound for the Catholic Service. Both I believe were equally as beautiful (at least what I heard from my friends who attended the Catholic service) I do know that at the Catholic Mass there were 21 baptisms that day....WOW!!

There were nearly 10 of us that walked to the church which was about a mile and a half from the center where we resided for 2 weeks. The walk was beautiful. We meandered through the streets of Singida only to be greeted warmly by all the locals..wishing us a good day, greeting us with Easter Blessings and so on. By the time we arrived at church (this church was huge) it was already full!!!! We squeezed our way into the very back of the church as to not make a commotion when several "leaders" from the church told us to stand up that they had seats in the front for us!! Well you know what that means...we were the welcomed and honored guests!!! So we all marched to the front of the church and found two very tiny pews where we would sit!!! Now mind you there were 10 of us and enough space for probably 4!! So we called this the Tanzania "spooning" method. They don't believe in personal space so the closer you are the better!!! As we all "squished" into the pews, we were greeted with the choir who sang so beautifully. WOW...NO instruments but only their voices...it made my heart want to just jump up and sing with them...although I didn't know swahili, but I sure could have learned their "moves!!" The service continued with the Evangelist the the Pastor and finally the Bishop of the Central Diocese was there to do the sermon. At this point, somebody from the congregation must have seen our faces. We all were trying to "understand" what was being said but when you don't know the language that well....well,,,,you see what I am saying...I am sure we all had blank but satisfied stares on our faces!! She sent over a couple men to help us with interpreting. Of course where are we all going to sit??? Well, one sat down right between Karen and I and then one on the other side of me and then another a few down from there...it must have looked hilarious as we all "tried" to make more room!!!! There absolutely was not anymore room but we sat closer and closer and I believe Karen married Bob C during this time~haha!!

It was so nice to have our interpreter there to help us understand the sermon. As the sermon ended we could finish with the offering and more songs from the choir. We were all invited to the front of the church to introduce ourselves to everyone. They all knew we were with the medical team who had come to help at their hospital however it was nice for them to know our names and see our faces. After the service the entire church gathers around the outside to begin the "auction" whereby, people that don't have money for the offering might bring something to be auctioned off after the service. Our group, bought almost everything from fruits to vegetables. We in turn gave them to our kitchen staff at he social center!!! We were greeted by so many kind and simple people after the auction.

As we made our way back on foot, we all took our time to take in the beauty of Singida. The people, the live animals walking next to us and of course remembering fondly, our church service that had just nourished our souls.

It was a beautiful Easter, one in which has left an imprint on my heart forever.

Until next time~

Cheers!