compassion, service, humility and hope

The hyenas visited camp again last night, but after they made their rounds all was quiet. Sunday dawned sunny and cool. Some of us (...not mentioning names) would have preferred seeing patients because our time here is so short, but even in the bush Sunday is respected...even welcomed...as a day of worship and community.

So, after breakfast, we headed off to the church which is located right next door to the clinic.

A choir of heavenly voices...accompanied by a genuine generator-powered
keyboard/synthesizer and electric guitar.

Passion and prayer.

Audrey and friend--beautiful!

Glory and praise!

No matter where you go in the world, the Assembly of God is a charismatic church, known for its music ministry, its outreach, and its passion for the Lord. This small church in Loborsoit is no different. The service is a hand-clapping, foot-tapping, body-swaying celebration. You'd have to be made of marble to sit still.

I get it, even though my faith flows differently. I have a more contemplative spirit, a restive mind. My beliefs are akin to wishful thinking. I hope there's a God. I wish heaven were real. I wonder about an afterlife. You may believe what you like, hold fast to what you need, but me? I wonder about it a lot. Compassion, service, humility, and hope are the pillars of my faith. Still, I raised my voice and clapped to the beat of the music with the best of them, and I applauded John  Bongiorno's sermon about "living water" and sources of grace. The woman at the well is a poignant image in this place. 

In customary Maasai style, the community officially welcomed our team with an exchange of gifts. We presented the women with scarves and sewing kits, and they gave each of us a piece of traditional beaded jewelry. 

In the afternoon we gathered in the "town square" for more ceremonial rites--song and dance, and the presentation of a kanga, a brightly colored piece of cotton cloth in traditional red and blue, commonly used as a wrap, to each team member of the team.

the welcoming committee

They all came, the young...

...and the old.

Ya gotta love the smiles on their faces.
Are they laughing at us or with us?

Here are a few scenes from the village:

"Main Street"...the only road through town

shops along "main street"

the tailor

We went from this:

your royal potty

...to this:

Seeing is believing!

The Maasai have a cultural and ecological dilemna: whether to cling to tradition or to embrace growth.

What do you think?

*
"A nation's culture resides
in the hearts and in the souls
of its people."
--Mahatma Ghandi--
*

Tomorrow is Monday--our last day in Loborsoit. Really??

jan