Animal Attacks and Church

My favorite time of day here is in the early evenings. I get to sit out on my porch, kick back and do nothing for the first time all day. I sit and read, sit and chat with my 15 or so neighbors, or just sit. There’s a nice view. I can turn my chair and watch the sun go down behind the Baobab tree. The sky is orange and purple and hazy and beautiful. Later on, if I pull my chair out from underneath the overhang I can see the stars. Most nights now are clear and I can see about a million of them. It’s wonderful.

Except, that is, when I get attacked by freakish African animals. A few nights ago I was sitting and enjoying the view when a bat flew into my leg and fell to the ground. That’s right, a bat. I don’t know what compelled the crazed devil-bird to come into my personal space, but needless to say I wasn’t very happy. Have you ever seen a bat up close? They are freakish and terrifying. I shooed it away but my peaceful evening was pretty much ruined. It’s ok though, I’ve had a few nights since with no incidents.

Other than being under attack by one of Satan’s little friends things are still going well. I don’t have cholera, so that’s good.

I’ve enjoyed settling into my new church home at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church. Siavonga isn’t a huge town but there are a number of churches to choose from. There’s the United Church of Zambia, the Reformed Church of Zambia, the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Catholic Church to name just a few. St. Marks is in Mitcho, an area a little ways from town, but I can usually get a lift with Munjongo in the Namumu truck. The Namumu children and staff are pretty much split up amongst all the churches in town, but a few go to St. Marks with me.

St. Marks has undergone quite a few changes since I was last here (I wrote about it in a blog way back) and it’s looking good. It has new doors, windows, benches and a new pulpit. It has four walls now, too, which is nice. It’s coming right along. Attendance is still a bit low but everyone expects it to grow.

The building is new but the worship remains the same. There’s singing and praying and singing and preaching and singing. Most of the service is in Tonga, but every now and then I get an English prayer thrown out there. Still, I can follow along with the Bible passages and can get the gist of the sermon. The singing is out of control. These guys can harmonize like you wouldn’t believe. The songs are all in various Zambian tribal languages but it’s ok because God can understand them even if I can’t and I’m sure they make God happy. They make me happy too.

I got to go with John Luneta this week to his choir practice at the United Church of Zambia, one of the bigger churches in town. There they have microphones, a keyboard, speakers and a mixing board. I felt like I was in a recording studio. Their singing was very nice as well, but I think I like the simple sound of the Presbyterian singers better.

So worship and life in general are just swell. I discovered a local type of hot sauce that is pretty darn good, so when my stash from home ran out I didn’t have to kick that addiction. Our crops are starting to come up already. Beans and cabbage are looking good with eggplants close behind. The little kids next door aren’t scared of me anymore (white is/was scary sometimes for the little ones) so I get to play with them sometimes. I finished “The Catcher in the Rye” which might just be my favorite book of all time. On Sunday I got a nap after church and then at night I slammed a few Cokes and watched LOST season 4.

If you ask me, life couldn’t be much better.