Sunday morning we drove over the Limpopo River bridge and turned off the main road into the shallow valley dotted with small villages. We passed mud huts with thatched roofs, followed by concrete block homes and clusters of cattle grazing in fields of tall grass. When we arrived at church, we heard singing coming from a building of concrete posts connected by reed walls and covered by a tin roof. "This is about as rural as it gets around here," was what Reverend Lehman remarked as we got out of our vehicles and greeted the congregation (see photo of Rev Lehman walking to the church doorway).
What impressed me about the service, besides the two offerings taken--one for the tithe and one for the building program--was that even though our cultures were very different in material possessions, we were very much alike in worship and in care for our family. The name of this community is Ndlovukazi which translates as "she elephant." I speculated with Rev. Lehman that at some time in the past elephants roamed this Limpopo River valley.
Dennis Myers preached a participatory sermon on the prodigal son (translated into Portuguese by Daniel who is a Bible college student and pastor of another church). Our team of six sang a few hymns after the children and adults sang their own versions of worship songs. Then, after the service we ate lunch together, which consisted of boiled ground corn meal called "yashima," beans, greens, and a kind of fish stew (see photo at the top). It took about 20 minutes for our vehicles to drive along worn dirt roads crisscrossing the fertile and wet lowlands to get back to the main highway.
Tomorrow, we will visit a well dedication ceremony--more photos to come!
bill
An exciting adventure is unfolding for you guys! So thrilled to hear of the time you had with the villagers at their church and how church and worship is similar. Fantastic!
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