First Village Visit

On Sunday, Josh and I had the privilege of going to a village for worship. This was our first time to a village, so we didn’t know what to expect, but were very excited to learn more. Pastor Herb Hafermann, a long time missionary here in Morogoro, invited us to accompany him to a service. While we are finding it impossible to put into words all that we experienced, we’ll give it a try! Here is what our day was like:

8:30 – We departed the language school (our home) and began our journey. Luka, Pastor Hafermann’s driver and a builder and evangelist, drove us. We were on highway for about an hour and then took secondary and tertiary roads for about another 20 minutes until we reached the village. The roads were partially washed out from the rain, but we made it.

10:00 – We arrived at the village and were greeted by a local evangelist and a couple of the elder Maasai men who led us to sit in the old church, which was a thatched roof with no walls or floor. We sat with the men (and many chickens) and chatted while shy children peeked around mud houses or stared curiously.

About 11:30 -Tea time! The evangelist of the church poured water over our hands as is customary here before eating. We were then served tea and buns. We were amazed that the women made buns so perfectly shaped over an open fire. Only after we (the guests) had finished eating did the elder men eat and drink their tea.

People began arriving a couple of hours after we got there and gradually more and more people gathered at the church. Eventually the whole village was filled with music from the people singing.

Church began about 1:30. Women and children sat on one side and men sat on the other. The choir sang many times, we all sang hymns, had communion and there were several baptisms. Right in the middle of the sermon it started to rain. Rain came in through the “windows” of the open-air church building, and although many got a little wet, no one was upset because everyone needs the rain. It was a joyous occasion.

At this point we lose track of time entirely :) After the service, (maybe around 4?) there was an auction of the goods that were donated for offering. It was the liveliest I have seen! It is common for someone to buy something (ex. a chicken) and donate it to someone. One of the women bought me a toothbrush and toothpaste!

After the service, we walked to a lame man’s home, where he received communion. The choir came as well providing their beautiful music.

After that, it was time for pastors and visitors to eat. We were fed a meal of chicken (which we had seen being plucked earlier), rice, and beans. We have now learned how to eat rice and beans using our hands, but we have a long way to go before we perfect the technique.

After supper, we made the return trip to the seminary. We were home around 7PM. What a day!

After it is all said and done, we still haven’t gotten over how comfortable we felt in such a completely foreign place. The people were so hospitable and kind, making it easy for us to feel quite comfortable. They seemed so appreciative of our visiting. The feeling is mutual "bila shaka" (without a doubt).