"I'm still here..."

The Lutheran Malagasy Church service is very different than any other service I have experienced. Let me just give you a couple highlights:

 - There are between 10 – 12 hymns each service

 - For offering, people walk up to the alter to put money in the baskets rather than remaining seated

- Communion is taken kneeling down at the altar

- Everyone dresses to the nines – no matter what the style is, or even if the clothes fit accurately

 - Sometimes if the church is too full, people sit on benches outside. I’m not sure if they can even hear what’s going on inside, but they still show up.

 - Announcements are given after the sermon. And they can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.

 - Sometimes there’s food being sold outside of church. People typically leave during  announcements to take a little walk, go to the bathroom, or have a snack outside. In some churches people even snack inside the church as well.

With all of that, it usually takes about 3 hours to get through everything. The longest I’ve experienced was 3 and a half. One time church was only 1 hr 15 min and I didn’t know what to do with myself – I was baffled. I didn’t even need to break out the snacks I had stashed in my purse.

Although church is in Malagasy, I have a translation sheet to follow along with. And I have a small Bible that I bring to understand the readings. But other than that, I’m lost. I usually understand about 4 words every hour. You do the math.

There was one particular Sunday where the church was PACKED full. It was extremely hot and the fan in the choir loft wasn’t on. The thin wooden benches were beginning to get very uncomfortable after the 2^nd hour and I was getting hungry because I didn’t bring any snacks or money for food (what was I thinking!). I was beginning to think “why am I even sitting here? I don’t understand ANYTHING! What good am I doing taking up space here?” I told God my complaints of the situation I was in and after I was done complaining, I felt the whisper of God say

“I’m still here.”

And then I laughed. And cried. I had nothing to say in response.

I was humbled by that simple statement. “I’m still here”. Yes, church is going to be frustrating at times. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it or ever not be uncomfortable in some way. But that doesn’t mean that God isn’t there. Hundreds of Malagasy show up to this church because of their faithfulness to their God. The least I can do is join them in their worship space. That’s what accompaniment is all about, right? Walking together, whether or not I have a clue about what is going on.

And it’s not only in Church that I get this reminder of “I’m still here.” Especially when I’m having a challenging day with things that are out of my control (aka cyber cafes and everything that is French), God gives me a little light through the people around me to say “Hey! Vazah! (white person) You need to chill out and look at the beautiful people around you. Appreciate them and get over yourself.” So although I often fail, I am reminded of God’s grace and the love and care He has for me and His people.

So even though I have new insight to church, I’ll finally be going to the first English speaking church service this Sunday. Halleluiah!

Love ya, mean it!

~Sarah