Two Sundays

Last Sunday we were at Shepherd of the Valley saying good-by to friends and getting greetings for friends here in Tanzania.  Merilu Narum gave me a 500 Tanzania Shilling (Tsh) note that she had.  She didn't know where she had gotten it, and didn't know what it was worth, but wanted us to take it with us.  The note is worth $.30.  This past Sunday we walked to the Cathedral Lutheran Church in downtown Iringa. We arrived for the 9 am service with church bells ringing and the 7 am service just leaving (they also have an 11 am service).  Many familiar hymns were sung and we were able to sing from a hymnal  that I bought in 2002. They have a new hymnal now, but many the hymns in the new hymnal have the same number as in the old hymnal.  The church was packed with people.  There were two choirs, women's choir and an adult mixed choir.   The music was great, and I personally thought the mixed choir was especially good.  There were many speakers and we surmised that they were asking for pledges.  At offering time, we all walked forward to the altar and placed our offering in one of the wood boxes with a slot in the top and a lock on the box.  There was communion and we communed kneeling at the altar rail. Merilu's 500 Tsh went in with my offering.  The service was traditional and I was able to recognize the various parts of the service.  At the end of the service the eight of us from Bega Kwa Bega (BKB) were invited forward to introduce ourselves. We left the brightly lit sanctuary into the sunny courtyard with the choir singing, having recessed earlier.  There was an auction of a non-monetary offering item.  There were friends who knew us and others who introduced themselves to us.  I saw Hery Mtisi and I told him I had water-well parts for him.  We agreed that I would take the parts to the synod office for him.  This is a story of two Sundays, two sanctuaries, two services, and a feeling of one community.