Another Engagement

Saturday 8th continued ...

After lunch we walked back to the main road, where, after a long wait, (I should be used to this by now) we were picked up by some elders from Kelvin's Church, who took us over to meet Mrs Tembo and the three Kelvinettes. On the way the Session Clerk told me that before we went into the church we'd join the open-air celebration, in the church grounds, which was the engagement party for their Reverend's daughter.



On arrival, I was taken to the front of a huge marquee, and sat down, in a place of pre-eminence, beside the local Reverend and his wife. There were several hundred guests present. No invitations are sent out in Malawi; it's just sort of assumed the whole village will turn up; and turn up is what they do. And now I had turned up too.

The Reverend was a lovely man, and welcomed me, a total stranger, right into the bosom of his family and their big day. It was just like a wedding celebration. Lots of dancing and music and speeches. I suppose I should have seen it coming. No sooner had I sat down and just started getting to know Kelvin's pastor when I heard the MC (a cool dude, straight out of the Rockford Files - dark skin, dark glasses, bright bling) announcing that a very special guest, a pastor, all the way from Scotland no less, a friend of Kelvin's, was here and was just coming up to address the gathered throng! You know, there are times in my life when I look around and simply wonder at the surreal nature of the twists and turns that the Lord brings into my life. And this was a belter.
So there I was, in the grounds of Kelvin's church, in front of this jubilant engagement party, at which I had been present for two minutes, and the microphone is thrust into my hands. The noise calmed down, as they awaited my words of wisdom. And what did I say? Do you know - I haven't got a clue. But when Mr Cool took the microphone back I'm pretty sure he said, "Hey there nzunga, nice one!"

I was glad to get out of the limelight and let the real proceedings of the day get back on track. Just as I was being taken away (by my hosts, not the local psychiatrist) to the church, some girls in traditional Malawian dress performed a wonderful, traditional Malawian dance. They were fantastic! The picture above is of them dancing; but, to be honest, the picture doesn't really tell the story - you had to be there. Except me, of course, because by now I was supposed to be somewhere else - Kelvin's church, which was just a few paces away.

It was great to see the people and the building Kelvin had told me so much about. When I arrived at the church there was a small gathering there of about 50 people. As I entered the building they all started singing in that typically enthusiastic Malawian way. The noise was incredible; the welcome genuine and the music rhythmic and uplifting and full of joy; and the words so familiar; "Fanana, fanana, fanana, naye Jesu" - "Make us like him; make us like Christ." It was a wonderful moment; a moment I wanted to last even longer than it did! Later I met Kelvin's family. Like the man himself his wife and children are lovely people. I also had a meeting with some elders who showed me their plans for a new church building, due to start being built very soon. The current building holds about 300 people. The new one will hold 1,500. Amazing!

Later that evening I retire to my lodgings and lay down on my bed, exhausted. My mind is full of so many things, so many people. And then I remember I need to think about a sermon for tomorrow. I spend a little while in prayer and the Lord leads me to a passage. I'm tired. I'll sleep on it and write it at breakfast tomorrow. No need to worry; the Lord won't let me, or the congregation, down. Malawi is changing me; so is the Lord. Night-night!