A Global Circle of Family

Sunday, March 13 2011

We return home this afternoon and begin to say our goodbyes.  The Mosaiek team needed to head back to their church to prepare for evening services, and we were attending church in the village of Tweefontein (the village of the twins' birthday party.)




Parting shot of the American and South African team members.



When we arrived in Tweefontein, the church service was already underway.  Rather than being housed in a tent like the other community churches we'd seen, Tweenfontein has  a building that can hold at least 200 people.  We had the privilege of participating in the service.  We joined in the dancing, and Kristen Wood and Melissa Lemke led some of the singing.  In January, Kristen Wood had written a song about Africa and our desires for the trip (lyrics at the end of this blog entry. )   When she performed it, the congregation was awed and delighted and soon launched into singing it with all of their hearts.  For people struggling with a lack of self esteem due to centuries of oppression, the  idea that someone was thinking about them before even seeing them touched their hearts and made them feel valued in a way that was new and enlivening.    Imagine someone even wanting to know their dreams!

Melissa and Kristen leading worship.

One of many singing Kristen's song with absolute joy.

Rita Dickerson painted during the service, something that's rarely seen in America, and entirely new to the villagers.  Their church had nothing on the walls, and now they have a painting that was done right before their eyes.  It will be the first thing to adorn the church's bare walls and will hopefully inspire them to create their own artwork to hang as well.

The pastor next invited some of the Americans to come up front to share something God has done for them.  Luke Flowers and I both felt that we wanted to say something, and shared from our hearts what their warm smiles and welcomes had meant to us.  The pastors there have a charming habit of repeating something multiple times to emphasize something, so when I added that I was so happy, happy, happy, happy to have had the chance to be with them, they were delighted and the pastor started the congregation singing, "Oh Happy Day" (singing the "Oh, happy happy day" line in his wonderfully graveled bass tone).   These moments of sharing were very powerful.  If you'd like to hear more about it, just ask me!  We needed to leave the service early in order to make our flight home, and as we walked out through the congregation, every woman who could reach me gave me a hug and told me "We love you."  I  started crying at having to leave them, and continued to cry as the van pulled off.  Everyone on the team was feeling subdued, sorry to be leaving the people of Africa so soon.   We learned too that Tweefontein's pastor had pulled Dave Wayman aside as we left to thank him and to tell him that this had been a healing experience for the people of his church.  We look forward to hearing more about that someday soon. 



Tell Me

Music and Lyrics by Kristen Wood

Tell me about Africa

Let me see the place you love

What about it makes you smile?

Take your time we've got a while.

Can you please let me in to your story?

Can you please let me in to your heart?

I want to know you - I want to see you

I don't want to miss you or walk right past

So can you please let me in?

Tell me about who you are

How the Maker of the stars

Has crafted you beautifully

Oh, it's obvious to me.

Tell me about all your dreams

Where you'd go if dreams had wings

Would you sing or draw or dance?

I want to give you that chance.

Can you please let me in to your story?

Can you please let me in to your heart?

I want to know you - I want to see you

I don't want to miss you or walk right past

So can you please let me in?



Hannah Eloge and a friend that she made at church.