sunday

I am finding that the town of Quelimane awakes at 5am. This morning I awoke to the sound a beautiful choir singing at the cathedral across the street. They are still singing and it is mid-afternoon. It is now the sound of children’s voices I hear. I enjoyed a morning fellowship group at a local neighbors house and met some more people this morning. Our electricity has been off since 6am, so I decided a Sunday nap was in order. The windows in the house are open and there is a nice breeze. The front yard is covered in mango and lemon trees. I had a couple ripe mangos that fell from the tree last night. The provincial elections are campaigning at this time and trucks full of supporters are blaring music and campaign advertisements driving up and down the streets. I’m sitting in the office overlooking the front yard, watching children chase each other down the street, bicyclists cutting across the church yard and neighbors stopping by to say hello. It is a beautiful day in Quelimane.

This morning at the church fellowship we sang some older hymns and choruses that took me back home. I am always blessed when something as simple as a chorus can bring my back to my family for a short moment. I am in Africa and I really enjoy living here, but there are days I question if the awe and happiness of being here is worth the sacrifice of being so far from my family and friends. And then there come moments when something familiar will come around and remind me that even if I am so far away, I’m still a part of their lives, as they are of mine. Church always brings me back home. And you’d think it would make me feel more alone, reminding me of where I am and where I am not; but it seems to do the opposite. It reminds me of the wonderful people I have in my life who are supporting me. It reminds me that we are all part of a greater family. And to be in a place that as beautiful as it is, is unbelievably poor and full of injustice to so many people, it is a comfort to know that there is a greater power at work. The beautiful songs of the choir across the street have been singing all day. They must believe in something. There is a sense of community here. It is a beautiful thing to watch from the outside and even greater to feel the embrace on the inside.