African Church - Galmi Style!

A couple of weeks ago it was "ladies' day" at the two African Christian churches which most people on the compound attend in Galmi.  Although I can understand little of the languages spoken (including sometimes the English translation!), the services are colorful, spirited, and the Word is preached fervently!  My personal opinion is that photo-taking is out of place, put since many were doing it on this day, and the nature of the day seemed a little more "party-ish," I jumped at the chance to record visually more of the richness of this unique corner of the world.  I appologize for blurry and dark pictures.

Ladies Choir

I have recently learned that quality of clothing (including amount of "bling" it displays), is very important to people here, and special events call for special clothing.  One way that occurs is that women in a group will have clothing made all out of the same fabric pattern.  So all the women in the choir were dressed alike.  It makes sense; we have (or used to have ) "choir robes," or, for occasions, "themed" colors.  Why not here?

All Dressed Alike

When this choir stands to sing, it is powerful music!!!  Loud, long, rhythmic, and accompanied by drums!  It reaches your soul!

Dancing Through the Congregation

At one point in the service, the women from the choir got up and started dancing through the congregation with these silver trays in front of them.  We later found out they would hold "refreshments" (rice with sauce, eaten with fingers)  for after the service.

View Toward the Front From the Back of the Church

In the picture above, the women are seated on the left, the children in the middle, and the men on the right, with the three sections spanning the width of the church.  Even in Christian churches and events, men and women are separated.  There are two choirs - the women on the left, and on the right, the youth choir. 


The young woman in the next picture grabbed me and wanted me to take a picture of her and her baby.  Why not?  Both were beautiful!

Young Mom and Baby

On this occasion, there were other lighter pieces to the worship service.  There was a skit where a mom wanted her daughter to marry a Christian, and the father wanted her to marry a rich boy.  In addition, they had fun at our expense with "ransoms!"  A person from the congregation would get "kidnapped" and set on a chair in front of the congregation.  Then anyone who wanted that person "set free" would put money in a basket.  When enough money was raised, that captive was set free!  It was fun and funny, and the money was used to help expenses for the women's retreat in a couple of weeks.


The women from our compound were not forgotten!  We came to the front, faced the congregation, and sang "His Name is Wonderful" in English, French, and Hausa!  This also raised money in a rather unique way:  There is a tradition, that when you really like a song, a performance, a message, etc., you walk to the front and put money in a basket.  If you REALLY   REALLY  liked it, you put the money on the forehead of the presenter!  So of course, when we sang, the men from Galmi compound started sticking money on our heads as we sang!!! (More retreat funds.)  It was quite the  humorous event!


Here are some scenes from after church:

Serving the "Refreshments"

Typical Church Clothng

Baby Daoud (David)

The two boys above are sons of my classroom cleaner, whom I really like, and with whom I cannot communicate except with gestures and smiles. But her baby David and I get along well, because he is a baby and I speak "baby!"  All of her children are beautiful, as is she!


Well, that about covers our experience with African Christian church, except that, yes, there is a Sunday school for children and a youth group for teens.  And the "official" time for church is 9 to noon, but the "African time" could be "9-ish" to "noon-ish," or longer!  People come and go throughout!

Always Something Interesting Here!

OK, so I am working at the sink and hear this rackety sound, which turns out to be a pick-up towing a set of wheels so wide they have to be hand- lifted over the rocks lining the “roadway” through the compound!  From my kitchen window (my porthole to all things interesting here), I see at least 6 - maybe 8 - young, healthy, strong African men working on the process of moving a “container!”  

Jack 'er Up!

Now you need to understand that containers in the past have come maybe once every six months, bringing anything too large to transport personally, such as bicycles, sewing machines, appliances, crates of medical supplies, furniture, etc.  But since they cost more to send back than to keep, the compound has many containers around.  (Remember, Galmi was a mission station back in the 1960's!)  Some empty containers are at the shop, a few have been tucked away out of sight, some have been covered with the "mud-cement" mixture that becomes the outer surface of dwellings here, and some are just standing like sentries outside the missionaries' homes.  Gardens have been planted around them, one was made into an artist's studio, but most have just become a not-much-noticed part of the landscape one sees every day here on the compound.  There is much beautiful to look at here on our daily "comings and goings" (and I am enjoying a beautiful hibiscus on my way to school), so the containers don't get much attention.  But NOT TODAY!!!  


Apparently, the one framed by my window has a new destiny!  And it must be an important one to take so much manpower on a lovely, relaxing, Saturday morning!  Here is the process I see:
          1.  Dig out around the container - by hand
          2.  Swat gnats!
          3.  Jack up one side.
          4.  Swat more gnats.  (At least they were not bees!)
          5.  Keep jacking up and moving wheels to center.
          6.  SUCCESS!!!

          

Wheels Under!

Only TWO Wheels???

          7.  Attach tow bar to container and pick-up.

Attaching Towbar

          8.  Check for obstacles.

Obstacles?

          9.  Pull 'er out!

Bye-Bye Container

Bye-Bye Hibiscus!

Mission accomplished!  Only casualty:  one beautiful hibiscus!  The former art studio has gone to the village, and I say, "Good luck pulling it through the narrow paths that separate dwellings up there!"

But more fun than watching the removal of the container was watching Phil "interact" with all of this!  (Sorry, no pictures.  Use your imagination!)  First he is the "casual-observer-with-coffee-mug-in-hand." Then I see "consultant" as words are exchanged.   As coffee mug is set aside, he moves into "geologic field examiner," exemplified by kicking mud in a few places, and finally, we see "engineering inspector," as he steps back to watch the results of all the labor.  The final role is "historian," which should produce such amazing pictures that National Geographic will be compelled to offer us large sums of dollars, euros, British pounds, Nigerienne "cfa," or whichever type of money we happen to be dealing in that day!

So . . . as can be said of life here, "Never a dull moment!"