Goldfish. Day III.

(A new friend of mine is a guest blogger for a few days. His name is Dowa Manda and he is from the country of Malawi. I hope you enjoy his trip diary.)

Moni. Moni!

Today is my second day in fruit county. Mr. John & Mrs. Jennifer and I went to the first of many services at the big church today. When we drove up the street I saw a huge square building with nice flowers out front. Mr. John said that wasn't the church but where the pastors had their desks. I had never seen so many automobiles of people who go to church. We parked so far away, a train with wheels picked us up to bring us to the big church. I sat next to a woman and I think she was ignoring me with her cool phewa (shoulder).

Mr. John said that they don't have big enough parking lots because people have to be hurried back to their cars between services, so the next group of automobiles will have room for the next service. The train stopped in front of a large building. I again thought it was the sanctuary, but it was called the all-star building. I think it has something to do with baseball. I saw smiling people were wearing uniforms. There were lots of happy mwana and mtsikana (girls and boys) and pictures of Jesus. There was even large fish tank walls and I heard someone say they feed the kids goldfish during church.

We got inside a metal box and pushed a button to go the sanctuary. The doors slide shut and then slid open and we were there!. Back home nobody is going to believe this!!! There were lots and lots of people and very vibrant music. The ceiling was covered in big bright upside down drums and there were 2 huge television screens as big as a njobvu. A friendly woman handed me a folded paper, it was like a free newspaper for the church. Mrs. Jennifer said we could have gone to other venues and experienced different kinds of church. I said that I wanted the one that was about Jesus. She laughed and said that they were all about Jesus, just different styles.

There was lots of standing then sitting, back home we stand throughout most of the service unless you are old and tired. Everyone was nice and people shook my hand others didn't and I told them my name but nobody told me their name. Some people did a half hug we call a kukayika. Also, most people closed their eyes during prayer but some kept them open. The pastor talked very fast and was very passionate about Jesus. I liked closing one eye and watching the big video version of the pastor and then closing the other eye and watching the small real version.

After the sermon, we were still singing and people started getting up and leaving. I was very upset and confused. Did they need to move their car? or did I not realize the pastor had dismissed everyone? Was there someplace else that was more important to them they had to be? We usually spend 3 to 4 nthano (hours) at church.

Mr. John said we could go to the restaurant at church to get some food. This church even has Christian food! Mr. John and Mrs. Jennifer said they were going to introduce me to some nice people, but said that they could not find them after the service. I don't know how anyone finds anyone else, especially if they wear different clothes each Sunday.

I asked Mrs. Jennifer how many people lived in these big buildings. She said nobody lived there it was just for church. I wondered how these beautiful places were used the rest of the time, our whole village could sleep here at night, and go to school here during the day and eat here the rest of the time. We would never need to leave, that would solve the parking space problem.

Kupita!