Here is a typical Sunday service at the AIC (African Inland Church) where Pauline and Gideon are members. I probably shouldn’t say “typical” because we got stuck going into the church gate. It had rained the night before so the roads were really muddy, but also a “rollie” (a big dump truck) dug a huge hole in front of the gate in order to get their equipment into the church. So we pull into the church and the front goes into this hole! Chuck and Gideon made a make-shift bridge out of large stones in order for us to get out of the car then some helpful young guys came to push the car out. When they stepped into the hole they went up to their knees in mud and water – so the car was stuck. But with about 6 guys pushing they had no problems getting the car out. Then it was off to church service.
They have a 9am Sunday school for the kids and English service for the secondary school (high school) students that lasts until about 10am. We leave from home around 10 because the Akamba service starts around 10:30. Once we get unstuck the youth choir singing and dancing greets us at the gate – it’s a great way to enter church listening and watching these young people praising God!
After talking with a few people a church elder rings the bell to let everyone know that service will be beginning soon. We take out seats and service begins around 10:30 with the choir singing. They sing for about 15 minutes and then Pastor Samuel Mutie (he is the youth pastor and has been doing the service for the past couple of weeks in the absence of their head pastor, he’s also does the English service and has been fitting in some English so we can follow along with the message!) gives the opening prayer. Then more singing: we have a congregational song in Akamba, a few members of the choir sing a song, and then the youth choir sings a song (theirs includes dancing too!). Around 11:05 the first reading is read by a member of the congregation (John 4:1-27). Then another song by the choir (our very own Ruth from Nice View is a lead singer and she has a very powerful and wonderful voice – you can see her love for Christ shine through when she sings). Then around 11:15 the youth and young adult choir sing a song. Their leader is great because they will start a song and if he isn’t satisfied with it he’ll stop right then and make them start over! He is really good with them and you can see his love for what he is doing. 11:25 is the second reading Hebrews 13:7-17 – this reading is always read together by the congregation and cards are handed out beforehand so everyone can read together. After this reading a couple came in front to sing a song in English (The King is Exalted on High) then around 11:35 the choir sings another song. A church member then says a prayer – this is usually a long prayer and I wish I knew what they were saying but it’s all in Kikamba. After he is finished with his prayer we all recite the Our Father, although they recite it in Kikamba. Then another congregational song and afterwards they recite the Apostles Creed in Kikamba. Approximately 11:50 Josephus (a church elder) makes announcements and after is the offering while the choir sings. After the normal offering they have another offering (this one is every 3rd Sunday) for the “church development” which helps pay for the water bill and the woman who works at the church. The first offering a basket is passed around, the second offering if a basket at the front of the church and they have a hierarchy of who goes first, 1) the church elders, 2) the men, 3) the women, 4) young adults and finally 5) the youth. Then at 12:15 Pastor Mutie introduces students from Scott Theological College who are being hosted by the church this week for crusades and evangelizing. He also reminds everyone who pledged money or supplies for the students to pay today and that his pre-wedding fundraiser is next weekend and everyone is invited. 12:20 a Scott student leads us in praise and worship for about 5 minutes and then Pastor Mutie welcomes the Scott students, tells us a little bit about their program for the week and confirms some previous announcements (I only know this because Pauline translated for me!). Then the students are asked to say a word or two and the group leader explains more about what they will be doing this week. At 12:45 Pastor Mutie says a few words about the choir (but I have no idea what he said) and then a couple of church elders auction off the items brought in for offering (when someone cannot afford a cash offering they bring in something from their shamba to be auctioned off and the proceeds go to the church). Pauline got four huge avocados for 60 ksh (about $1). Finally at 12:50 Pastor Mutie introduces a Scott student to give us the message. He talked about the Samaritan woman in John 4 and how Christ wants a personal relationship with us and that personal worship will entice corporate worship. Personal worship comes from the love and grace of God. He mentioned John 7:7-9 and how Jesus is seeking the true worshipper in Spirit, not just a Sunday worshipper or a churchgoer. God is always seeking. Then he mentioned Isaiah 29:13 and how people are coming to church but not experiencing anything. You should feel God’s presence in His house. I’m sure he said a lot more but this is what he said in English so that’s the message I got! Then at 1:30 Pastor Mutie says a few words in closing and the choir sings while the congregation exits the church.
This service was a bit longer than usual because of the Scott students, but only by about 15-20 minutes. Even though I don’t understand much of what is being said you can see the love of God in the faces of the people speaking and singing and that uplifts my spirit and praises God. Oh by the way, did I mention we got stuck on the way out of church?! This one wasn’t as bad; it only took three people to push us out!
Sunday evening we had our neighbor from home come by and ask Gideon to go into town for some milk. Chuck and Gideon went in and got them a box of milk and some eggs and we took them over to her along with some clothes we had bought the children. Living at the compound is grandmother, grandfather, daughter-in-law and five children. The mother had three children from a previous marriage; two of them are staying with another set of grandparents and go to Nice View. She has four children living with her and three of them go to Nice View. I wasn’t able to get any pictures because we went at night and the flash would have blinded everyone. But I did ask if I could come back another day and take some pictures and they were happy to have me return. We handed out candy first because that always makes the kids happy! Then we gave each child two t-shirts and two pairs of shorts. Mom and grandmother were so happy and thankful I can’t describe the expressions of joy they had on their faces. Before leaving grandmother told us that since she didn’t have anything to give us in thanksgiving (this is a tradition in Akamba that when someone brings you something you give them something in return) that she could only lift us up to the Lord in prayer. So she prayed for us and even though we didn’t understand the language you could hear her heartfelt gratitude to God for His providence and goodwill towards her and her family.
Now for a funny story – I have to make fun of myself! Remember it is pitch black at night without any electricity at the home we were visiting. We have two torches with us and they have one very small oil candle on the table. We are talking with the family and I see something fly up off the table but don’t have any idea what it is! So I’m a little freaked out about sitting in the dark wondering what is flying around above me, then as I’m sitting there a huge grasshopper lands on the table poised to jump my way. When I say huge I mean HUGE! This thing is about three inches long, nothing like the tiny little grasshoppers we had in Michigan. I freak out and hide behind Chuck waiting for this monster to jump on me! Pauline then picks it up and asks me to look at it—while I’m thinking I’m going to have a heart attack! She hands it to one of the kids who then proceed to drop it and they are all scrambling around to try to find it and they are laughing at my cowardice behavior and me! I’m sure it was the story of the night! On Monday Chuck told Ruth and Catherine about it and they had a very good laugh! So no wild animals yet, just the monster insects!
I thought I had a picture of us being stuck but I couldn’t find it, maybe tomorrow! But here’s a miscellaneous picture of some of the kids after school.