Sunday Services in Candu

We had been told that time is of little value in this village and to be prepared that we might start later than expected and go longer. When Cameron asked Templeton’s son how long the talk normally lasted, he told us it depended on what Templeton wanted to say that day! Cameron left in the van to go pick up several of the church members in towns nearby. The children arrived first and were playing on the playground. Sister Vivian enthusiastically rounded up the children and began singing hymns with them. It was so neat to hear them sing our familiar hymns in Xhosa while we sang them in English. It truly made me think of the diversity of the body of Christ and how amazing it will be to have the whole earth together from all nations praising God when Jesus rules the earth.

Revelation 7: 9-12 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

We learned about Zaccheus in our children’s Sunday school and talked about how Jesus had come to him to spend time with him and he changed his heart to become a better man. The children really enjoyed making the craft and learning a song. Then they taught us their songs in Xhosa.

While we were having Sunday school, the ladies were busy preparing the lunchtime meal. They brought chicken, mealie flour, cabbage and potatoes. We knew this was done in our honor and we felt very humbled as this was a very special meal for them. They cooked the mealie pap in a huge black kettle out over an open fire. Their kitchen did not have running water, so they would fetch water from the rain tank and use that.

Cameron arrived back and we had a full house for Sunday services. He gave a talk on the need to follow the instructions God has designed for our life. He talked about how God is the engineer and He has designed us to run a certain way. If we fill our lives with the things that were intended to give us strength and power, then we will run like a well oiled engine and be able to handle the bumps in the road when they come. Other brethren did readings out of the Bible then we had a memorial service with the bread and wine remembering our risen Lord. It was a wonderful, encouraging time shared. I was amazed that my children were able to sit for almost 3 hours. When I looked around at the other children, they too were sitting without a sound and they were listening, not asleep! Just goes to show how culture does affect what we expect! We had smelled the delicious meal for a long time now, and it was time to eat! I have to say it was MOST DELICIOUS!

Cameron then spent the late afternoon taking home the members that had come from afar. At sunset, he and Templeton headed out to visit some other members that could not make it over. They got back about midnight. It was truly a day full of service, worship and fellowship! We headed out Monday morning to go to Hogsback, a beautiful retreat in the mountains.