Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to worship with our brothers and sisters in Tanzania, East Africa.  The two congregations that we visited differed in style but not in their purpose. The first congregation met at the site of the headquarters for the Tanzania Union where it served as a beacon of light to the area by offering dental and health services, housing the administrative offices, and hosting the Sabbath services. Its members were active in organized committees and groups, and we enjoyed the service, part of which was given in English and Swahili. I especially enjoyed the service, as it was Women's Ministries Day.

When offered the chance to visit our host's home church, we quickly accepted and were taken to a Swahili-speaking church in the middle of a residential area. The members have been struggling for over 10 years to complete the building of their church which presently stood with partially completed walls, a bare, dirt floor, and unfinished lower rooms.  The divine worship service was filled to capacity with many people lingering on the outskirts of the building listening to the sermon which was projected by loud speaker. Because I could not understand the evangelist's words, my host frequently translated the story of the prodigal son into English for me. However, I could feel the sincerity and fervor of the evangelist's message as he made the alter call and many people responded. I had the same experience when the choir sang to conclude the service, one song about our commission to tell the world about the salvation that Jesus offers and the other a victorious chorus about reaching heaven. The exact words were not necessary; the message was evident.

Some might be tempted to pity the members who worshipped in the church without walls, but I consider them to be divinely blessed. God has placed their church in the midst of those who need to hear His message while providing a way for that same message to travel through the roads and byways of the area. Who knows how many people have already been led to Jesus and will be led to Him by the message and song of the church members before they even crossed the threshold of this humble church? The members are holding to the hope of raising millions of shillings needed to complete their church-a formidable task for any congregation. Whenever enough funds are available, they purchase the materials they need, meet on site to labor together and finish the day's work by fellowshipping over a meal. As a visitor who has worshipped in churches that these brothers and sisters would consider elaborate, I pondered on God's timing.   Ten years is a long time to wait to finish a church. Perhaps, in this instance, it is the process that is more valuable than the finished structure.

For photos of our experience at both churches, please see the Photo Gallery.

Sat 30th Jul 2005: Sabbath 30Jul05 (Unga Ltd SDA - Tanzania) 
Sat 30th Jul 2005: Sabbath 30Jul05 (Ngiri SDA - Tanzania) 
 

Our agape feast, held on the evening of April 23, was the brainchild of Sis. Amanda Bean, one of the Department members. Candles, brought by the ladies who attended, bathed the fellowship hall in soft, intimate light. This set the tone for sweet fellowship. Toward the end of the evening, Sis. Sonia Anderson instructed the ladies to pair up and led the group in silent relaxation exercises. We found ourselves doing some unusual things, and we giggled over them as we feasted!

On the serious side, recognizing the need for female health education, Sis. Ismay Stevens invited Dr. Wendy  Woods, a local gynaecologist/obstetrician, to speak on the topic of menopause on May 1. Ladies from several churches took advantage of Dr. Woods' wealth of information and obtained answers to some of their most perplexing questions. Dr. Woods practices from her Hamilton office.

Mother's Day is always an exciting time for ladies, both in the church and throughout the community. After recognizing (1) the oldest mother, (2) the youngest mother, (3) the mother with the most children, and (4) the mother with the youngest child, children distributed a small token of appreciation to all mothers in the congregation.

Motherhood is a sacred partnership with God.