Worshipping in Africa

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One thing I have learned from our short time in Africa is not to take anything we have in America for granted--especially when it comes to worshipping!! Some things I took for granted are lights, sound systems, padded pews, classrooms, and a roof. Of course, none of these are necessary for worship, but certainly make sitting in a building a little more comforable.

I thought I would take a few minutes and try to describe what the church buildings are like here and show some pictures. Most Sundays, we worship at the Arusha building, but have visited three other smaller congregations. Arusha has a nice, large building. The walls and floors are cement, no sound system, very few lights (lots of windows), and wooden pews---no cushions, but we do have backs on them. 😊. Most days we have a translator who will translate the service into English, but usually it is hard to understand with the accent. So, we have to really concentrate to get the meaning of the sermon. Along the back of the building are three classrooms. Two for children and one for the teenage girls. They are furnished with wooden pews and bulletin boards. We did bring
Inside Auditorium
This is the inside of the Arusha buidling.a children's table and chairs that will go into the younger childrens class. On Wednesday night, for Bible class, the men meet in the auditorium and the women meet outside under the trees. It's funny that after a while, I don't even miss the extras we have in America. The wooden pews don't bother my back anymore, my eyes have adjusted to reading the Bible by natural light, and the singing in Swahilli is some of the most beautiful singing I have ever heard!!

The smaller congregations we have visited in Usa River, Olosiva, and Kisongo have been much smaller. Olosiva is literally a mud hut--mud walls and floors. The pews there and at Usa and Kisongo are wooden with no backs on them. There are no children's classrooms, just a small building where people meet to worship. Instead of trying to describe them further, I am going to attach some pictures and, to quote Shasta, "Let the pictures speak for me." 😊

I am also going to include some recent pictures of the kids. Daniel has made friends with the boys across the street and they have been sharing their bikes with each other. 😊 Daniel is
Me Inside Arusha Building
This is me at the Sew Be It class we had. I am only including this because I have been told that I never put pictures of me on the blog. �lso trying to teach Abby to ride the tricycle. But, her legs are not quite long enough, even with the seat lowered.

Hope all have a good rest of the week.

Love,
John, Angie, Daniel, and Abby

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Photos

Arusha Building
This is the church building in Arusha, where we worship most Sundays and Wednesdays.

Inside Auditorium
This is the inside of the Arusha buidling.

Me Inside Arusha Building
This is me at the Sew Be It class we had. I am only including this because I have been told that I never put pictures of me on the blog. ;)

Children's Classroom
This is one of the three children's classrooms before painting began. Some of the men are repainting the classrooms and then Shasta is going to paint a mural on the walls.

Children's Classroom
Here is a picture of the rooms after they were painted. What a differnce a coat of paint makes!!!

Buletin Board
Here is one of the boards Shasta and I redid for the campaign.

Another Board
Shasta in front of another board. :)

Outside Church Building
Here are some of the ladies from the congregation preparing a wedding meal. Stephanie and I met the ladies outside the building to help prepare the meal.

Stephanie helping out
Stephanie and I helped by pealing and shredding carrots. Behind Stephanie is Tunu, a member at Arusha.

Prisca
I have mentioned Vivian, Daniel's friend, before. This is her little sister, Prisca. She is the same age as Abby and they are fast becoming friends on Sunday morning. It seems neither one can last through the 2 hour church services. So, we are usually out on the porch together during the last 30 minutes or so. :)

Lunch Anyone?
This is how the African ladies cook. We had three pots cooking different things. This one had the rice and vegetables. Another one had meat and the third had green bananas. Can't remember the actual name, but I am told they are very similar in taste to a white potatoe.

Kisongo Building
We went to Kisongo on Wednesday and Thursday for their VBS.

Inside Kisongo Building
The kids at the VBS.

Wise and Foolish Builders
The lesson on the first day was the wise and foolish builders.

Olusiva
This is the building at Olusiva. A small village not far from where we live.

Usa River Building
This is the Usa River church building. I attended a ladies' day here not long after we arrived in Africa.

Just for Fun
The next pictures are not related to congregations we have visited, but just some of the kids.

Say Cheese
Daniel posing for the camera.

Riding Bikes
Daniel and Geo riding bikes together. Geo and his brother Jiming live across the street from us.

Comments

[grammy]

hooray!
You can let pictures speak for you any old time! These are terrific and show a glimpse of the wonderful experiences you are having. Abby and Daniel have definitely expanded their horizons...and their circle of friends. Prisca is beautiful and Geo looks like a good buddy. I miss you so much, but I love getting to share your new life through pictures. Daniel...shorts and a jacket? What gives?