Back in Mbeya!

We left Mumba at 9:30 this morning and drove four and a half hours back to the Hodgson's house here in Mbeya. I was supposed to do a 5-hour leadership seminar here tomorrow but it's been cancelled because of a funeral that will involve people from all four of the churches that would have been attending. So instead I'll help Cory install some bookcases for his office.

Yesterday I preached at a village church near Mumba, though I don't remember the name of the village. They're pretty much all the same that far out in Tanzania - about two dozen small "houses" made out of mud brick with either thatched roofs or corrugated aluminum. No electricity, no running water, and certainly no paved roads. They cook outside with firewood they've gathered using a metal pot set on three rocks.

The church was like the houses only about twice as big. Most people were already there by the time we arrived and the service started shortly thereafter. There is no way to communicate in a blog post what a church service there is like. I didn't take any pictures of the inside because doing so seemed inappropriate, so you'll have to imagine a dark space with only the light that comes in through the narrow slits that pass for "windows" (no glass). The adults sit on handmade wooden benches while the kids - tons of kids - sit on the floor, and it is packed. Yeah, the air is stale and it smells. Tanzanians wear layers of clothes even when temps are well into the 80's or higher, and dress their kids the same way. Babies and small children are strapped to mom with a kitangi, a bit piece of cloth with a design of some kind, and almost always wear a cap of some kind. I asked one of the guys at the conference why he was wearing a winter jacket when the temp was in the mid-80's and he said, "It's just our custom."

That's Cory's Toyota Landcruiser >

The choir of about 18 women and men sang and danced. There's always energetic choreographed dancing. The music came from a digital keyboard used only for the rhythm feature while three guys played what looked like homemade electric guitars powered by the generator outside. Some of the people sing along, but it's SO loud up front that I only say that because I could see their lips moving.
Did I mention that the room is packed?

I preached, Cory translated, and they listened attentively. Nobody has Bibles (literate??). At various points in my sermon they showed their agreement by clapping, and some of the women make the high-pitched warble sound that I haven't heard anywhere else. I have no idea how they do it but it's loud and shrill. Cool.

After the service I went out first and stand at the door. They form a line and each in turn shakes my hand and then stands to my right to be the next "shakee," so that by the time everyone is out we've all shaken (shooked?) the hands of everyone. After some more conversation we headed back to Mumba and the mission compound.

Now that I've got good inernet I'll write more about that and the rest of my trip in subsequent posts over the next several days. But yesterday's experience was fresh on my mind and the pics at the top of the pile.

Here's one more. Several TZ families also live at the mission compound, including students who attend the Bible institute there. I'm assuming that explains the two head of cattle that graze in the center of the area. Lots of TZ families have these; I saw them often as we drove along the various roads through villages, often being herded by very small boys. And goats everywhere.

Fascinating country, stimulating trip, but I'm ready to be HOME.