8/18/08 7:10AM (written about Sunday, August 17th)
Yesterday we had to start a bit earlier. We attended three services yesterday, the first started at 7AM. He has started a congregation called International Christian Church or iCC.
We began the service with praise and worship. Pastor Shoo preached on faith and prayer. They are praying for a building to meet in. Right now, they are renting the ground behind a Hindu building. There is a soccer field adjacent to it where people played soccer during our service. Pastor had to ask them to quiet down once or twice, which I thought was kind of bold. However, he later told us that iCC actually rents the whole area, and the soccer field is included. So he could actually tell them to leave if he so wished, but he doesn’t really mind them being there, since they hear the message while they play. The service is actually held on the volleyball court.
(Mosque across the parking lot)
Jason and I gave testimonies during the service. Also, a girl named Lulu came forward to have her ear prayed for. She was deaf in one ear. Lulu was a friend of Princely, Pastor Shoo’s son. Meeting him was a great blessing. He has been accepted into a Christian university in Kenya, where his sister Zoe is. This has been a special thing, because he is being allowed to skip forms 5&6 (and part of form 4) to go. In Tanzania, kids actually have two grades past 12 before they can go to college.
After service, we went back to the MH for breakfast, then went back to the same location for the youth service. This was led by Princely. There was a small group of young people, maybe six or eight there. We talked about happiness and peer pressure, and other difficulties that teens face. It was interesting to see how similar some problems are everywhere.
After this, we played musical chairs. It was really fun. It’s so interesting to see teenagers there enjoying such a simple child’s game. We talked about that later. We decided that kids here just aren’t too cool to have fun.
(Written at 6:45PM)
I came in second to a girl named Lucy. It was so funny, because as we were playing, they were keeping score for mzungu (white people) vs. Africans. It was 2-2 until one of the kids got put out and then 2-1 because Montana, Lucy, and me were left. I guess the Africans won, but we think they cheated. Princely was running the sound, and there was some trickery at the end I think. Lucy just sat in the chair while the music was still going, laughing at me. It’s not like I could just toss her out, so she won by default when the music stopped because she was already in the chair.
What struck me is just how little people are affected by race here, at least. If someone is white, they call them mzungu. If you’re black, you’re black. It’s no big deal, at lease that’s how it seemed in my opinion. It’s more like making fun of someone for their hair color. It’s kind of fun and liberating really. I never had that “walking on eggshells” feeling on the issue. It just is what it is, you don’t have to avoid the subject, but at the same time nobody really cares too much.
(Onlookers!)
We came home for lunch and then returned for the afternoon service. They do it a little early so everyone can get home before dark. This was something that I never would have thought about on my own. Not many people here own their own cars. Some do, but I’m guessing most don’t. Plus, people do a lot of walking. That makes it important that they can get home without having to walk far in the dark, especially when you take into consideration the driving in the area. I would not want to be someone walking on the side of the road at night… it’s a dangerous activity.
(Lulu is in the yellow shirt, Lucy in the white, and Princely is translating for Montana)
Afterwards, we went out to Café Chez for supper. I had some Indian chicken dish, in a coconut sauce. Sean got an order of spiced chicken, which we called a spiced frog leg because it was so small. I felt bad for the guy, but it was really funny. It does make you wonder what we feed chickens in the US, because these were not the same freak-o mutant Tyson chickens we are used to.
Pastor Shoo came and sat by us during supper. Through talking with him, we found out that the Swahili name for the orange headed lizards translates as “Muslim lizards.” We see these occasionally on our way to the school. What’s so funny about this is the reason for that name. The lizards pump up and down sometimes, and the people say that they look like Muslims bowing down in prayer.
I do need to mention the weather here. It’s been absolutely beautiful, especially tonight. We ate on an open air room on the second floor. The moon was out, there was a gentle breeze, and it was just a great night for eating outside, not muggy like back home. The only thing you have to watch out for is the mosquitoes. They will light you up if you’re not careful, but I didn’t have any real problems. If you’re going to be outside at night, wear bug spray.
After supper, we returned back home. We said goodbye to Princely (since we wouldn’t see him again, he left for Kenya the next day), prayed, and went to bed.
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