Last week (Sunday Jan 24^th, 2010) I observed 2 things that are not something one would encounter attending church in the US. Instead of meeting in the church this day we were meeting in the Mango grove where there is a stage at one end. It is used for events such as this one where we had Pastors and member’s visiting from many different churches in the province. It was estimated that we had close to 2000 people here. The great benefit to meeting in the Mango grove is the shade of the trees as opposed to being in open air under the direct sun. The initial challenge I observed is that when the sun shifted and the shade moved, groups of people would get up to move their mats or benches. That’s not so bad. The next is very comical. Once in the service and once during the meal that followed there was a crashing sound coming from a tree above me. Everybody hears and looks up. It’s mango season and if you are not alert you may just get struck by a ripe one falling from the tree. We were all able to dodge the one during the service but the one at lunch got somebody. We enjoyed the laughter of the moment and somebody got a piece of fresh fruit.

Today (Sunday Jan 31^st, 2010) we were back in our church. It is a bamboo and mud structure with a tin roof and cement floors. This day a different observation captured my heart. It has finally begun to rain here. After the first two rains that came, each in the night, yesterday around noon it began again and really has not stopped. It ranges anywhere from a light shower to a full force down pour. As church began and people gathered it was still going through these rotations. My eyes were drawn to an old man. (His age alone is a statement here in Mozambique where in 2006 the average life expectancy was 36 years) He rode up on his bicycle and parked it by the side of the church and came in with his nicest Sunday clothes, a worn suit coat, a t-shirt and a pair of pants, totally soaked. He quietly found a seat and began to worship. A little later a woman entered who I did not see arriving but she, with water dripping from her, stopped to say hello to me as she entered and made her way to find a seat. She was soaked and wore only a thread-bare t-shirt with various holes and runs, a skirt which also appeared thin with a capulana wrapped over it. I literally was in tears as I greeted her and watched her as she sat down. I found myself amazed at the lengths the people before me have gone to in order to be at church. I think in a similar downfall of rain in the US there may be people who would justify staying home, even though there most of us have all the appropriate clothing to cover with as well as a car to take us there and back.

Lord, thank you for all that you are teaching me about hunger for You that surpasses convenience.

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