Pastor Licky’s texted me back, “Thanks Charles for the information. It’s quite okay. I wish you all the blessings in the church with your host Koreans. Good evening.”
The Anglican Communion – 80 million members worldwide consisted of the Church of England and national/regional Anglican churches – had both Catholic and Reformed characteristic as well as part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and it is the third largest Christian communion in the world, after the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The English service would begin at 9:30am and finish at 10:30am, only 1 hour. I walked to the church, and I met Sanghee outside. Church members who joined Swahili service early began to come outside and shake hands with each other. It was a little bit awkward to pass by them and enter the new church, and the next English service began in time. English accent through the microphone resonated in the church. I am hearing this unique accent in Africa, Tanzania! The style of service differed slightly; there was a presenter who made progress for 1-hour service, 3 people stepped up one by one to read the different Bible phases, a science teacher from English secondary school gave a sermon, and students came forward in the intervals to sing a hymn. The preachment rotates among the members; if it is so, I am wondering if there is a pastor. Even before I figured out what was going on, the service had already been finished and people began to straggle away. It was somewhat cluttered and I could not even feel whether I attended a worship; comparing to 4-hour Swahili service, 1 hour English service was so smooth time ticking for me.
In the evening, Sanghee and I visited pastor Kim’s house. She went to Africa 26 years ago from South Korea to follow the God’s will all the way; She spent her time in Kenya for 10 years and then came to Tanzania, inquired here and there what area the word of God had not delivered, and has planted 45 churches only in Tanzania until now. She has devoted her whole life to the African communities with her strong belief, not even spending a small time to find her lifetime companion. She is still single, and live in her house with a little dada (sister) whom she supplies school expenses. In foreign country, alone, for almost 30 years, she has silently preached the gospel. I know that her lifetime companion would be Jesus Christ, so she would have nothing to worry about her agedness and loneliness. But let me think. How hard it would be? How hard to believe totally invisible being, the name of Jesus Christ? Without intense power of deep-rooted belief, her total commitment to the propagation of Christianity would never be possible.
She invited 22 people of short-term mission work team from San Francisco, the U.S. a few days ago, and had been serving food and providing comfortable beds for them. She had just got back from the church; there was no way for her to cook alone, so Sanghee and I helped her prepare the dinner. I stirred, blended, and mixed massive amount of ingredients and rice to make Kimchi fried rice. The missionary group arrived her house right on cue from the assembly, and we had nice dinner. They planned with pastor Kim how to do mission work in the primary school. They prepared the English drama, English hymns; plus, they will teach English pronunciation and needlework tomorrow.
Yes, sincerely, it is time for praying for Africa. As of August 15, the latest WHO’s outbreak news, the total number of Ebola death in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone is 1,145, and total cases is 2,127. The situation has been getting worse; In Monrovia, Liberia, armed men attacked, broke down, and loot the Liberia quarantine clinic to free Ebola patients, and at least 20 Ebola patients fled; fears and chaos should have spread all over the country. I dumbly gazed at the painting of Africa on the wall for a long time; Praying for Africa… Let us do it to stop Ebola. No more cases and no more deaths…
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