Sweet Perfume

Sunday morning we went to a Grace Brethren church in Bangui, and we heard Tom Peters preach. What a treat it was to hear him! On our way in and out of the church, the children crowded around us, each of them wanting to shake hands with us. This happens to us often, actually. We feel like such celebrities! One night during team time, we talked about how we’ll have to adjust back to life in the U.S., where people won’t care that a white person is at church, or walking down the street. Jeana put a different perspective on it, when she commented about how this reminds her of the verse where Jesus says, “let the little children come to me.”

During the church service, we sang “O, How I Love Jesus.” This song took on new meaning as I thought about the Central Africans singing it. I thought about their lifestyle…how their houses are as big as our garages (maybe even smaller) how they make very little money…how they don’t live to the age of 80-90…how they probably eat one meal a day…how they only have a couple pairs of clothes…how the military walk around everywhere…how diseases are very common. And yet, they still sing “O, How I Love Jesus.” I think what gets to me even more is how loudly they sang the song. They weren’t singing it, they were practically yelling it. No matter how well each person’s voice sounded, they all sang as loud as possible. They boldly declared their love of God, to God.

After the church service, the deacons and deaconesses stood in a circle and all of us greeted them and shook hands with them. Some of the women sprayed us with their personal perfume, too. At first, I thought only one women would do that, but as I went around the circle, I kept getting squirted. We all walked out of church smelling like a perfume shop. I’ll admit, I was a little annoyed about getting drenched in perfume, but then my perspective changed when Jeana and Barb both mentioned this scenario reminding them about the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. To the women of this church, we were so important that we deserved to be treated with the best, including their perfume. They wanted to honor us and show their love.

When we were done greeting, we ate a small meal with the pastor, Tom & Sue Peters, and a couple of other leaders in the church. The pastor told us how much our presence there meant to him. He was greatly encouraged by it. He said that our visit to his church showed him that we loved him and cared for the congregation. We all enjoyed being there, and were glad we had time to talk with the pastor before and after the service.

Sunday afternoon we went to the Mercy Center and visited another orphan group. Our church sponsors a handful of kids there, so it was a neat experience to see this group. For some of the children, this was the second time we saw them. (We saw them on our first Saturday in Bangui, when we had the orphans put their hand print on a sheet). During group time, the teacher gave a hygiene lesson about the importance of washing your hair/scalp. Unfortunately, there is a girl with lice in the group, so the teacher used her as an example of someone who wasn’t properly washing her hair. This probably embarrassed the girl, but the teachers of each orphan group not only educate the children about God, they also educate the children on hygiene (this is to help stop diseases from spreading).

We really had a great time playing with the kids at this group. They seemed to have a special dose of joy and happiness. It was encouraging to see Jememiah up and running around, because she had been tired and weary the first time we saw her. Of course, the visit wouldn’t be complete without Zac playing soccer, and Jeana, Barb and I dancing and playing games with the girls.

One thing I’ve noticed about the children in Bangui is that they are children. You’re probably saying, “Of course children are children. What else could they be?” Here’s what I mean. I’ve realized that location (country/continent), language, and socioeconomic status does not change the fact that children like to have fun! The children in Bangui are just like children in the U.S. They love to run around and play, and make crafts, and laugh, and …the list could continue. Whether a child is an orphan, or a part of a family, or born in Africa, or born in the U.S., children speak the same language…FUN! This is why I’ve included the picture of the paper chains. Even in Bangui, Central Africa, children like to make crafts and draw and paint. The children of Bangui are children…just like the children in America.

Please keep praying for us, as the last few days are packed full.

Thanks for the comments. We look forward to reading them daily!

Heidi- on behalf of the team.