Church Wide Tea

Today we had a blast at church.  It was the day of our church wide tea.  The day began very early for me.  I woke up early to make mandazis (African donuts).  I think I ended up with over 150!  Fortunately Eli cooperated and slept late so I could do most of the work before he woke up. 

At the service, George taught from James chapter 5.  Today’s topic was patience.  Life doesn’t become smooth and problem free when we become Christians.  We have to be patient and go with the trials and tribulations that come our way.

After church, we held our all church tea.  Last week George taught about sharing and caring for others.  He told them about the tea and asked them to bring something to share if they could.  Potlucks don’t happen here.  Generally when people are invited somewhere, the host provides all the food.  If you suggest going out for dinner, it is assumed you will pay the entire bill, even if there is a large group.  So, the idea of a potluck is a new thing for them.  I was curious if anyone would bring anything.  We feared some may not come because they couldn’t bring anything.  We hoped that wouldn’t be the case.  When we are able to contribute, we do.  When we can’t, that’s ok.  We can still come and receive.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was touched to see people coming to church with bags in their hands.

Earlier in the week, we had sent some supplies and funds to Redemta, the pastor’s wife, so she could make the tea early.  So, we had tea, mandazis, juice (Crystal Light Fruit Punch, thank you to those who sent those to us!), biscuits and the contributions of others which included chapatti, bread, rolls, bananas, and beans.  It was a nice spread.  

It took a long time to set up and I wondered why.  Couldn’t we just put it out and self-serve, buffet style?  Apparently, that wouldn’t have worked so they set up chairs around the room and used benches for tables.  Then we went around and served the tea.  Meanwhile, a few other women carefully dished out the food making sure it was divided equally.  We had a lot of people and I wasn’t sure if the food would be enough, but it was.  Everyone left with full bellies.  It was like the loaves and fishes!

At first people were quiet while they waited to be served, but then once the food and tea were served, they loosened up and we all had a great time.  We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company.  It was a really nice time.  They were so appreciative too.  I think we’ll try to do this once a month.

 Since Eli has learned to walk, he likes to be out and about.

Naomi was great and kept him entertained for a long time which freed us to visit with others.  I kept checking with her and offering to take him, but she wanted to keep him!

Because we extended church time to do this tea fellowship and the service ran long (3 hours!!!), it was decided to cancel our evening classes.  Then the ladies would have enough time to prepare their food for the evening.  I was bummed because I was excited about the lesson I planned.  It was about fearing the Lord and what that term really means.  I understood, though, and will do it next time we meet.

As we left, we both felt really happy.  It’s nice to feel like a part of the church family here.