We have had two social
events this weekend, both of which have been interesting!
On Friday night we had a district staff dinner at a resort
in West Bank Demerara so it took us an hour and a half to drive there! It was a very formal event with a running
order resembling a service rather than a social evening, including a hymn,
prayers and a sermon. It was difficult
to talk to people around the table as the music was soooo loud so not a very
sociable time really! Then an hour and
a half drive back again but this time in the dark so we had to be even more
careful of the potholes in the road and animals coming at us from all
directions!
Yesterday
we went to a church social at Mark’s Airy Hall chapel which was meant to start
at 6pm. When we got there about 6.10
hardly anyone was there but by 7pm several people of all ages had arrived and
they were ready to start. Again it took
the form of a service really with hymns, songs and prayers. They asked me to teach a song so I tried to
teach them the action song ‘Great big God’!
The adults joined in merrily but the children just stared at me as
though I was crazy! I think they are
not used to seeing adults doing silly things!
I wonder what they’ll make of Nettie when she ventures out!
Mark
was asked to give a short word and then we sang some more songs before handing
out polystyrene containers of food (rice with chicken!) to everyone
gathered. The children were each given
a little present and that was a poignant moment. Earlier I had asked each of the children what they had received
for Christmas and several of them said ‘nothing’. When given the little cheap plastic toys from the church they
looked so happy and held onto them as though they were precious gifts. I found that very moving when I thought
about how much is given and received by way of gifts in the UK.
This
morning, Mark didn’t have a service so we attended Mahaica chapel which is
outside our front door. We got there at
8am and it was just us and the local preacher taking the service. By 8.20 no-one had arrived so she started
the service just with us and gradually more people arrived and by the end there
were about 12 people there. We had
started off singing unaccompanied until the drummer arrived at about 8.50 and
the steward arrived to give the notices just as the sermon ended at about
9.45.
I
find it really hard to get my head around people arriving so late for services
and not preparing for their part in worship until they get there. Maybe I am yet to understand how this
culture works but in my mind it is insulting to the person who has spent time
preparing the service and not honouring to God to be so blasé about coming to
worship. People have told us that they
have tried started services later but then people still come an hour later than
that. This is an area I need to find
out more about because at the moment it is just making me mad!
Tomorrow
night Mark has a ‘Watchnight’ service here in Mahaica starting at 10pm so it
will be interesting to see who is there on time! Here they call ‘New Year’s Eve’ - ‘Old Year’s Night’ – I’ll let
you know how it goes!
I
will upload photos once I can get some decent internet – please keep praying
for the following;
- The money to come through from the UK to get our own car as we are having to hire a car which is costing a lot of money and they don't accept cards so we have to go to the city each week to draw out the cash to pay for it.
- Landline and internet at home – this is causing us hassle as we can’t use the internet except to very slowly send text emails and we need it for resources, research, information, sending photos and hopefully skype.
- For us to get our
visas to stay here and our Guyana driving licenses – we are expecting
hassle for these but please pray God will make a way for us!
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