Most of the senior couple missionaries go to the Goma Ward. It is in a nice chapel, close to the mission home, that looks like it could be in Utah. It is on the same property that the new temple will be built on. We have attended church there twice. Things seemed to flow quite smoothly and many things were like going to church at home. There was not a piano player. However, the other couples laughed and said it was a relief, because the only piano player in the ward loves to play the hymns, but insists that sharps and flats are not necessary… and plays all the hymns without them. We were asked to bear our testimonies our first week. I had written mine out in French…. 4 paragraphs. People were very surprised I could do it in French. (I have taken some French classes for the past year, while we were at home.) Dad had an interpreter and they loved him.
Sunday school was held outside. This clock, hanging on a tree next to the area of the class was very special.
For their homes, most Africans can’t afford batteries, and don’t have power, so they don’t have clocks. On our first mission, meetings sometimes started a half hour late, while they waited for people to arrive. However, this good ward did everything on time. When Sunday School started, a man came out and hung the clock on the tree. When it was over, the same man came and took the clock off of the tree and went on into the “chapel” and hung it on the wall. They started all the meetings on time!
However, we have decided to follow the Billings footsteps and attend some of the outlying area chapels on Sunday, and rotate around to our students’ wards. We went to one of these wards our second week. It was a delight!!!!
Relief Society was very special.
The lesson was out of the lesson manual on temple work. Most of these sisters have never had the opportunity to go to the temple, but their faith was beautiful. They asked me to bear my testimony on temple work, and I was able to talk to them in my halting French, and tell them a little about my heritage.
Relief Society was very special.
The lesson was out of the lesson manual on temple work. Most of these sisters have never had the opportunity to go to the temple, but their faith was beautiful. They asked me to bear my testimony on temple work, and I was able to talk to them in my halting French, and tell them a little about my heritage.
Sunday school was held outside. This clock, hanging on a tree next to the area of the class was very special.
For their homes, most Africans can’t afford batteries, and don’t have power, so they don’t have clocks. On our first mission, meetings sometimes started a half hour late, while they waited for people to arrive. However, this good ward did everything on time. When Sunday School started, a man came out and hung the clock on the tree. When it was over, the same man came and took the clock off of the tree and went on into the “chapel” and hung it on the wall. They started all the meetings on time!
This ward almost never sees white people. We were the honored guests. After Sacrament Meeting was over, we visited with members outside. We met our student’s friends and family. The children were fascinated with our white skin and all wanted to shake our hands so they could feel our white skin. They were darling. I took them aside and we did the Hokey Pokey together. What fun we had!
So darling! Did you do the hokey pokey in french? Is that a dance they do often or did they laugh at the crazy white dancing lady?
ReplyDeleteSo darling! Did you do the hokey pokey in french? Is that a dance they do often or did they laugh at the crazy white dancing lady?
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