sunday

Sunday was a combined English/Chichewa service (read there was no English service and everything was in Chichewa…). It started at 9am and at 11 the sermon finished. There were about 3 or 4 sentences in English so not much was understood…other than it was on the last 4 verses in Luke and the rising of Jesus to heaven. Nice music and choirs but after the 2 hours I left as did most of the azungu…I heard that it went on for another 2 hours as a farewell to one of the abusa (reverends) who was reposted to another church in Bunda (southwest of Lilongwe).
On Friday, the father of one of the school watchmen passed away. In Malawian culture, one must attend funerals…of everyone it seems…whether you know them or not. And I understand it is a form of support but it seems to take up at least 2 days. The teachers all went on Saturday to the mortuary to take the body to the village and were there again on Sunday for the funeral—all day for meetings and viewings and cooking and other gatherings…Willeke and Reynier Ter Haar and I took bikes and went for about an hour on Sunday before the burial. We got a little lost on the way but it wasn’t far away so we were quickly there (just past the market). We went to give our condolences to the watchman that we know and then Reynier stayed with the men while Willeke and I went back to another house where the ladies from school were cooking. Then we went with two of the school board ladies to the gathering and sat with the women and then went to listen to the preaching (from the African church). The father’s name was then given to two of his grandsons and they were told to live up to their name as their grandfather was a good man. One of the children was crying lots so I don’t know what was going on or being said. After about an hour we then left. I think it was good to make a visit but I’m also relieved that we didn’t have to stay the whole time.