Sunday in Tanzania - Church

On Sunday, we boarded a bus going to the children’s home for church. When we were on our way, Herbert called (he and Emily were already there) and said there is a lot of rain, we may not be able to make it. We knew the congregation was looking forward to having us so we decided to press on. When we got there, the rain had decreased. Since we were running late, we climbed up the short cut. Man that is steep! Stephen, George and Saidi helped me up. After several breaks to catch my breath, we arrived at the home.

Church was starting in a few minutes so we quickly changed and went up there. Their congregation is great. They love the Lord and sing out loudly to him. The church service was long, but good. They had songs, and then everyone stood in a circle and prayed for unity. The people have come from different areas, backgrounds and churches so keeping harmony is important. A visiting pastor taught from Psalm 51, and then I was able to greet the church and share a short devotion with them about serving God as they are. Many of them are not educated, but I assured them, they are worthy of serving the Lord. I encouraged them to find ways of helping in their community and looking for ways to step out in faith. Then George gave the sermon about true fellowship within the church. Although none of us knew what the others were going to say, all of our messages had common themes. It was neat how God worked that out.



As the service was coming to a close, a woman asked if George and I would dedicate her son, Joshua. It was a huge honor. Her other two children were never dedicated either so she asked us to dedicate them as well. I shared about how dedication is more about the parents and their decision to raise the kids to know and love the Lord. It’s also about the congregation’s role in supporting the parents in their efforts. Then we prayed for them and asked God to watch over them and show them the special plan He has for each of their lives.



At the end of the services, they each filed out and formed a circle, shaking everyone’s hand along the way. It was really neat to be a part of their service.



Before leaving, I made friends with the cat, as I do no matter where I go!



Although we finally got to see sunshine, the rain was coming again soon, so we hurried down the mountain. By now, I have come to enjoy crossing the river. The water feels really nice.









After a nap, we had our last dinner with Herbert and Emily and closed our visit with a prayer time. George and I expressed our sincere thanks for the hospitality we were shown this week. They were so nice and generous. We had a wonderful visit.