My African Sunday

I've been meaning to blog about this past sunday...my african sunday. It's late now and i need to go to bed and wake early with the sun. We sail tomorrow, 10am. We head for Cape Town. Doesn't it sound beautiful? They say it's very touristy and pretty there. We're going to be raising awarness there, holding functions, giving tours, and recruiting crew members for about four weeks before we go into outreach. We had a fire drill yesterday bright and early. We all had to run to our muster stations and then to our life boat stations, but now without our life jackets. I really want to blog about that...i was so giddy through the whole thing..so neat to see a life boat being lowered into the ocean. But i will blog about that tomorrow. I must tell you about this african church tonight.

Sunday morning i decided to go with Sam and his roomate, David, whose from Sierra Lione, to the Cosa church, about a mile away. I was dying for the "african sunday" experience. Brae's words were in the back of my head all week, "Sienna..i envy the sunday experiences you'll have. get in an african sunday!". That must be something she misses in china. I took my sister's advice and followed Sam and David to this Cosa church where I heard there would be dancing and singing and more dancing and singing and in the end, some more dancing and singing. Sam and I were the only white people there and normally the pastor preaches in Cosa, which has this constant clicking of the tougne all throughout that language, but this sunday he preached in English. I'm not sure if it was because we were there, but i have a feeling it was.

David had been attending that church for two months, Mercy ships entire stay in East London. He had become very envolved and it was extreamly painful for him to leave. The church loved him.

They loved me too though. I am amazed at the love that poured from that church. Right when i walked in, members came running over just to put their arms around me and embrace me with warmth. A boy my age came over immediately to greet me with a hug and welcome me with kind words. I found out later on that he was actually a visitor also. It was his first time at that church and he was already welcoming people. I couldn't get over that. They sang to us a little later while everyone in the church came up, once again, to embrace us. Somehow a mike was thrust into Sam's hand and he ended up in front of the church, expected to give some kind of mini sermon. It was quite funny. He seemed a bit surprised yet handled it very impressively. I would have walked off. He stayed. David had been upfront and was thanking the church for their kindness towards him through these last couple months and when he was done, handed the mike to Sam, who was sitting next to me in the pew. Sam's eyes got kind of big for a moment and then he swallowed and walked up to the front. He gave an impressive 60 second sermon, encouraging the people in the importance of worship and in their love towards others. He thanked them also for the love that they had shown us for the very short time we had come. Before the sermon ended they called us all up front to commission us off. The music was turned up and the dancing began. This time though there were white people up front though instead of black people. That was interesting to be the focus during a worship time. I felt slightly out of place. It didn't matter though. They led us into the back room, when the sermon was finished, where 3 different cakes were laid out for us with punch and water. We were served first and told to have as much as we wanted. They all waited till we were full before eating themselves. amazing people.

The african people have a beautifully mysterious way about them. I don't understand their love. Or maybe i do. Maybe i don't understand why most of us arn't like them. Why is this nation so this way and another so that way? These people welcome the stranger, invite them into their home, offerall they food they own and send them off with song. I'm intrigued with this culture. I'm encouraged to give more of myself for others. (which is a good thing to be encouraged by on this ship)

A family had invited our Anastasias group over for lunch after church. They wanted to send us off properly. The single mom had four children and cooked us about eight different dishes and this excellent dessert. Alot of the africans from church came over too to fellowship with us. Around five we had to get back to the ship because the people of east london were hosting a "bry"(which is a sort of barb-b-que) for the anastasias before we sailed. But before we left, there was a burst of song and the people encircled us, linking hands, and they all sang a sort of farewell song to us that was so rich in african style. Then prayer filled the room. Each one began praying their own prayer for us altogether. It was amazing, to say the least.