On the edge of the camp there is a pretty sad looking tree, from there to a couple of other ‘posts’ the Pastor (a returnee himself) hangs a tarpaulin. At just on 10:30am we heard the sound of a drum and began the short walk to Church. The sun was hiding behind the clouds as we arrived to the sound of singing and steady drum beats. Looking out to the valley and the hills beyond was a tall, good looking young man singing and dancing while behind him the rest of the congregation repeated his words.
For about 30 minutes the lead swapped between the man and a woman, and as the group worshipped others joined us until there were just over 70 men, women and children dancing, jumping, and singing together.We were in the middle of no where, and nothing. As far as you could see on three sides was savannah and hills, specked with cattle and one or two mud huts, and just below us the sound of the rig that was drilling for water hummed in concert with the singing and clapping.
The steady shout of “Imana ishimwe” (God be praised), “Jesu ashimwe” (Jesus be praised) rose loudly across the singing and was met by the echoed, “Hallelujah”, the chant grew louder and louder, carrying well into the valley below.
For over an hour we worshipped; little children stamping their feet in rhythm to the music and drum, as the adults danced and sang; spontaneous prayer rose from the church and it was then that the heavens opened on us.
Jammed together like sardines, the worship continued. Then the preaching: with about 15 minutes notice I was preaching, Isaac translated me into Swahili and a church elder translated him into Kinyarwanda. In my introduction I used all my vast knowledge of Kinyarwanda greeting them, asking how they were, and praising God. It was then that I became one of them. Language is such an amazing barrier breaker.
Church lasted about 2 ½ hours all up and afterwards we sat together in a small mud hut and cemented our relationship with a drink of warm milk before we spent time playing with the children.
Once again I was reminded that there is no place, no culture, no language, no situation where God is not already present – the challenge is for me to intentionally lay aside my own cultural prejudices and my religious insecurities and constrictions and allow God to be revealed in God’s amazing mosaic of creative genius.
