Zambia Sunday - Church & Teaching Children Near Kitwe - Ulrika

Mulishani (How are you)?

Bwino, ngaiwe (fine, and you)?

We started our day with our routine of breakfast and devotions at the lodge in Kitwe, then rode in cars out to Pastor Mwansa's home church.  The kind members had decorated especially for our arrival and got us settled in at the front with bottled water while the children and families arrived.

Once the children were assembled, Pastor Todd gave an Introduction and opened with a prayer.  Then Fletcher began his lesson on how Jesus is True God, I followed with a lesson on how Jesus is True Man, Lauren stepped in with her lesson on how Jesus is Our Saviour, and Noah wrapped up with how Jesus is for Everyone.  The children were all very attentive and interactive throughout the lessons, and thanks to our translator who did a great job of interpreting the lessons into Bemba, they were able to answer all of the questions that Pastor Tom had in his quiz at the end.  He also followed up with a brief summary of why it is important to know the REAL Jesus, and that it is God's Love for us that sent Jesus to be our Saviour.

After the children's program finished, members from the Presbyterian church that we had a Lutheran Seminar at yesterday arrived to join the service. Pastor Mwansa has been working with them for some time now since they are interested in the CLC's approach to learning God's Word.  I am excited about their curiosity and enthusiasm for God's Word.  

The church service followed a very familiar path, and although my understanding of Bemba is very limited, I could still follow anout where we were in the liturgy and Lord's Prayer.  And the sermon was delivered by Pastor Todd in English and translated to Bemba, so I followed that.

The hymns, however, were another story.  The Ladies' Choirs sang and the translator interpreted along the way, but some of it we just felt.  It was moving, highly rhythmic, and tonally precise despite being a capella.   It had the kind of power to make you move your feet and want to sing along if only you knew the words.  And the song that the whole congregation knew made us all clap along even though we didn't know the words.  Bemba has a musicality to it that makes it easy to sing and dance as you thank God for His many blessings.  

Of course, everyone was kind when we contributes our six person choral rendition of a couple of favourites at the end of the service (in English!).  Pastor Ibrahim introduced our surprise, and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Amazing Grace" were both kindly received by our Zambian brothers and sisters.

After church we all ate a wonderful lunch of chicken with a tasty sauce and rice.  Then we had time to play and visit, exchange stories, and take more photos.  There was a football (soccer) game out in the yard that looked like fun, and I got more Bemba lessons.  It was a full and fulfilling day.