Sunday, June 30th
We started our Sunday morning at the ARI Chapel at 9 am with with these beautiful school children...
Singing "How Great Though Art"
Misheck with head master John
Misheck's beautiful wife Jenifer
Our group led the "Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, hallelujah! Praise ye The Lord!" chorus with the kids and then sang, "Down to the river to pray" for them.
We stayed for a little over an hour before leaving and heading down the road to another church service at St. Mark's Methodist Church
As we walked in the service had already started.
My fellow KCOG choir members will appreciate this, they sang "Alpha & Omega". I literally got chill bumps- I couldn't resist joining in with them.
We had special seating at the front in plastic chairs. Some of the congregation sat in chairs but most of them sat on benches.
The children sat at the front to the side
Our team leader, Delinda, greeting the members of St. Mark's
Pastor Donahue of Mt. Olivet preaching with Misheck interpreting.
After the sermon an offering was taken. The offering box was placed down front & center. In addition to money, some members placed bags of produce beside the offering box. Perplexed, we asked to see what they were doing. Following the offering an auction began. Misheck explained that members of the congregation who do not have money can give produce as their offering. The produce is then auctioned off to other members, making up the extra money.
Our group members were blessed by generous church members who bid on produce and have it to our group. They blessed us with maize (corn), gourd pumpkins and beans.
I thought this was a neat concept as it allows for all members to participate in giving to The Lord their best fruits.
After the offering they called us outside. They wanted us to join in a benediction for their new church building they are constructing. It will seat 400.
We lined the perimeter walls and joined hands in thanks and praise to The Lord for their new place of worship and his provision.
After the benediction at the new building they called us back inside the church for some refreshments. They blessed us with bananas, oranges, cookies and a rice with bean soup concoction.
Beside the church is a school- much different from the schools I've taught in...
As I reflected on our experience at St. Mark's I walked away with a new appreciation and perspective of how we do church in America.
First of all, when we drove up to the church there were no cars. We thought we were either too early or too late until we opened the doors and heard some of the most beautiful heart felt singing we'd ever heard.
These people flat out know how to worship. You would have thought you were at a Pentecostal church! Even the Methodist group I am with brought that up at the dinner table tonight. When the speaker began to pray- he wasn't praying alone. It was a concert of prayer as they poured out their heart to The Lord. Even at my Pentecostal church we more often than not have a hard time getting everyone to join in concert prayer.
We often complain about being to hot at church. (KCOG choir we think it's too hot in the choir loft... I don't anymore). This one room building we worshiped in was filled to capacity with no air conditioner and limited air flow while the people were dressed in long sleeved winter clothes seemingly unaffected by the heat while I sat there in short sleeves and a cotton skirt sweating to death and drinking a liter of water trying to stay hydrated. Their time of offering really touched me. In America we are so stingy and often times hesitant to give because we don't feel adequate or as though our offering is adequate- these people give their best to God no matter what it may be. In talking to my group tonight apparently this type of offering is common place in Kenyan churches. Previous group's have been given chicken eggs and an actual chicken...
On the way back to our hotel we stopped by ARI to visit a few more minutes with the kids!
Pastor Cecil and Jackson got a "Step" lesson from the kids!
They are infatuated with white people's hair!
Meredith and her special friend Gloria.
Our unplanned church activity to wrap up the day was a few feet down from our hotel at a 7th Day Adventist Church.
A few mission trips back group members stumbled upon this church when they heard beautiful melodious music coming from its doors. We returned today and enjoyed some of the purest singing I have ever heard. They sang acapella and the acoustics in that building were incredible.
