Well, it seems that I now have a Zambian Congregation. Just about a 2 minute walk from my rooms. I get pulled to church by the singing that I can hear through the window several times a week. The UC Zed (as they say it here) Mindolo Congregation has embraced me warmly and it feels like a home away from home. I've preached and served Communion on Sunday morning, led Bible Study for the Women's Christian Fellowship, attended the second Sunday service in the Bemba language and gone visiting to the elderly and to a little baby. And they have invited me back to spend more time with the women. It has helped me quite a bit to have this base. And it also has kept me feeling close to my church in Bloomfield, as I compare the two and think how much our FCCB members would love the people here. When I began to preach on Sunday, I brought greetings from Global Ministries, and also from my church --- and that was when I teared up and needed a moment to keep going. It's very emotional to feel so connected to Bloomfield, and to pray for my congregation, even while I'm so far away. Must be time to go back.......I've taken lots of video on my camera, which I hope will come out well, but the internet connection here is too weak to allow video to upload. So for now, it's just stills. The pictures above are (from bottom to top, since they uploaded in the opposite order from what I wanted): the Choir at the 8:30am English language service [at 10:00, there are THREE choirs!]; me serving Communion at the 8:30 service; ****three little boys, one of whom has a little baby on his back, who greeted me before the Bemba service; ****the banner for their capital campaign to continue work on the new building that they have started, NOTE: that the requested individual contribution is 10,000 kwacha (about $$2.00) and the contribution from each section (fellowship group) is K1,000,000 (about $200.00). This is not a wealthy congregation. They need some extra support just like every other institution here; ****then there's the enchanting little girl who sat across the aisle from me at the Bemba service and was just like any other toddler in worship --- squirmy --- but she stayed quiet nonetheless; ****next is me with Rev. Kondolo and his wife Margaret. They have been WONDERFUL to me. Kondolo is also Dean of Students at the Theological College as well as part-time pastor of the Mindolo Church. Margaret heads the Women's Christian Fellowship and is very involved with the women. I have eaten at their home and can count on them if I have questions or concerns.; ****Then there are the women who came for Bible Study on Thursday. I was asked to preach on The Importance of Prayer, but turned it into a very engaged and interesting dialogue about the various ways we pray and reasons we pray, and then taught them breathing prayer, and also a form of Confession that is done only with gestures. They LOVED it, as they had no idea that you could pray other than with words. I've been invited back for more discussion and more thinking about how we pray. We will also talk about praying together as a family. And we did all this while I spoke in English and Margaret Kondolo translated into Bemba; ****the last picture is me in my new chitinge, which is the word for women's clothing made out of Zambian traditional fabric. Margaret Kondolo surprised me with it. She even estimated my measurements extremely well. The women cheered and clapped! Just loved seeing me in Zambian garb.
The Mindolo Congregation is growing by leaps and bounds, as is the entire United Church of Zambia. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Zambia, and is instrumental in helping to maintain the social fabric of this challenged country. Kondolo is somewhat unusual for a UCZ Pastor as he only has two jobs. Many of them serve multiple congregations over large geographic areas, especially in rural areas. There are some very wealthy congregations, but also many that are terribly poor. Mindolo isn't the poorest, but is definitely struggling.
The Mindolo Congregation is growing by leaps and bounds, as is the entire United Church of Zambia. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Zambia, and is instrumental in helping to maintain the social fabric of this challenged country. Kondolo is somewhat unusual for a UCZ Pastor as he only has two jobs. Many of them serve multiple congregations over large geographic areas, especially in rural areas. There are some very wealthy congregations, but also many that are terribly poor. Mindolo isn't the poorest, but is definitely struggling.
That is my church home away from home. The music is great, and much more varied than I expected. The people are warm, and the challenges are great. I look forward to the next two weeks with them!
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