Out of Africa: Part 7 (Continued - A) – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005
Experience #2 - Post Worship Celebration & Visiting

At the end of the worship, they presented gifts to all of us present. Since I was the one who preached, among the gifts, I was given a Rungu. It is a club with a large head on it that was originally used for hitting and defense. It later came to symbolize a Masai chief or elder and finally a Masai leader. Ask to see it if you are in my office. It will be on display. After all not many white men ever get to be Masai chieftains!!

A very touching moment occurred with us barely noticing it. One of the women came forward and spoke softly to the Pastor during the final singing. After a moment he nodded “yes.” What we later realized was that she had gone around after getting the Pastor’s permission and collected necklaces from the women. At the presentation, they came forward and put the very necklaces they were wearing around our neck. That was a very moving experience.

They also had prepared personalized Masai bracelets for every member of our team in Kenya. To really get the picture here, you need to visualize the bracelets. They are leather straps with hundreds and hundred of beads strung in rows around them. Here is what is amazing – all of our bracelets had our names on them. It is hard to imagine how much time and planning went into the making of each bracelet. The exact placement of every bead had to be carefully planned.

After worship we went outside and as is a custom here we are very quickly learning, had a “soda,” – Coca Cola and Fanta Orange. (Please note here, Coke not Pepsi!) We then had photo ops with the various folks. The women who made our bracelets all wanted to have their picture taken with us. I am going to mail it to them upon my return.

In the afternoon beginning around 3:00 (it took that long to get back from worship since it was not over until 2:00) we had lunch with seven pastors. It was very interesting to hear some of their stories. When we asked what their needs were, they responded two things: prayer and training. For most of them all they have is a Bible, if that. I thought about all the training we pass up in the states as Pastors while these men were begging for some.

In one very challenging event, we heard the story of one pastor who came close to being beaten for the cause of Christ. He stood up to one community leader and told them he would not permit them to force a certain young girl to marry an older man. When one of the chiefs said he would beat him, the pastor turned his back and said, “Which side do you want to start on, because I will not permit this to happen!” I could not help but think of the issues and pressures we so easily cave in on in the United States.