Sundays are always fun for me in Africa. I love worshipping in a setting that is entirely different than my own, but still so familiar. It never ceases to amaze me how people from different cultures worshipping the same God can come together and quickly become like family.
We heard a lot of songs that are becoming familiar to us, songs in Kiswahili that basically have the same message as that of ours, but in a tongue that is more fun to speak! Megan and Jon did a fun little kids song for all of the children, but were also asked to sing Amazing Grace. Although I was hopping that Megan would bust into the soulful version of Amazing Grace I’ve come to love, she stuck to it pretty much as written. I was blown away, nonetheless, as was everyone else in the building. I wish Megan and Jon could have seen behind them outside; there were children playing and then suddenly stopping to run over towards the doors to their back just so they could listen.
Rob had asked me if I’d give my testimony just to allow their congregation to get to know me a little better… he asked about five minutes before I was to go on, so I had to quickly think through all of the horrific stuff that’s happened in my life. I remembered that I really haven’t had anything horrific happen. I haven’t had any serious illness that left me wondering how young I was going to die. I hadn’t battled with drugs for most of my life. My marriage has never been on the rocks. So, that’s exactly what I told them: Even when life seems pretty good, even when you live in abundance like we do in America, even when I had a great job working in Hollywood that had the potential to take me to incredible heights and even though I knew a lot of influential people who would have made that path quite easy, it wasn’t enough. For someone like me who came from poverty to someone who had a Hollywood track that was much faster than most, I still knew that I needed more. Not more in the hunger for success more, but more of something that wasn’t being fulfilled there. I hope that in some way my story was able to encourage any of them that life’s happiness isn’t based on what you have and don’t have, because I’m a living testimony that no matter how much you have you still aren’t fully happy.
Rob too spoke. His message on grace is one I’ve heard a few times and I love it. It comes across as really personal, he doesn’t speak with a ton of theological head knowledge that no body can understand but makes him look smart. Rather, he intentionally exemplifies grace, which always makes it easier to relate to and grasp.
I imagine it’s because we are both westerners and visitors, but every time I speak or see someone else speak, the audience looks so incredibly engaged. I can see their little antennas tuning into the message. I hope it isn’t stuff that they haven’t ever heard before, because if that’s the case I think there’s much that can still be spoken on. But I liken it to someone like a Donald Miller, Rob Bell or Mark Driscoll coming to our home church and speaking. While what they have to say may not be revolutionary thoughts, just the fact that they are there we would tend to tune in a little more attentively.
When we first arrived in Kiserian, Jeanne learned that many of the children have no idea when their birthdays are. The may know the year and what month they were born, but beyond that, “well, what’s the point?” Jeanne has such a great heart to love on kids, and quickly the rest of us joined in. Jeanne decided that she wanted to throw a birthday party for every one of the kids… so, November 30th is now the birthday to quite a number of children in Kiserian. We had balloons galore, some horrible lime juice that I’m hoping doesn’t undo all of the pro-bacteria I’ve been stuffing myself with, and some uncooked smores, which were actually really good. The beautifully sad thing is that many of the kids were so astonished to actually have a piece of chocolate to themselves, they would take as long as they could to eat it. Many would rely on the heat of their fingers and simply touch the chocolate and lick their fingers. Others glided it across their tongue and let the chocolate sit on their taste buds and really let the flavor set in. And I’m always amazed at how generous people who are in poverty are. It’s quite the contradiction to thinking, but those who have nothing are always the first to give to someone else who has nothing… or even me who could have as much chocolate as I’d like at home. Regardless, I had a number of kids younger to older offer up a cracker or a piece of their chocolate. I wish I could learn to be as generous out of my abundance as they are generous out of their need.
I don’t know if we ever really explained to them what or why we were doing this party aside from singing them the song, but the smiles tell me they appreciated it regardless. All the way from the youngest to the oldest of kids had smiles on their faces, and for a moment I believe they had forgotten the poverty just outside of the gates. For a moment, their home life seemed insignificant. For a moment, chocolate made their [birth] day perfect. Way to go Jeanne, Sarah, Maria, Shelia, and Sandy!
After the party, I became a proud parent again (not that I had ever stopped, but it rekindled). I busted out the pictures of Owen and Jen and shared them with so many. My new friends Tabitha and Ann (which, by the way, don’t learn people’s faces during the nighttime because it makes it really difficult to recognize them during the day) and all of the other Jr. high/high school kids fell in love with Owen. They loved his big blue eyes, but I told them that in this case there would need to be a reverse dowry. They all got a kick out of that!
After the long day at the church, we were invited up to a restaurant that was pretty far away. We had some great conversation, had fun watching the kids (and Megan) dance on the disco floor, and Rob got a little business done. These alone made this experience one step better than the Healthy Eating Restaurant back in Atlanta… aside from these, it would be pretty much the exact same.
11/30/08
