Church visit

Last week while on a walk with Nadege, we walked past one of my students at his church and told me that he would invite me to come sometime. When would I come? I told him he would have to pick a time and we would see if it worked and we would talk about it at class (or after)…so at class he said that there are 2 services on Sunday—one in the morning and one in the evening. I was going to Cite Soleil church in the morning so I agreed to the afternoon service. When I asked him when he would come to get me he started writing times on the board…not the most conventional way to do this…especially as he was writing every possible time from about 4:30 to 7…saying that sometimes they start at this time but other days start at this time and they could last until this time or this time. Great. And when will you come to get me? Ok, so I’ll leave my house at 4:30 and will get here sometime between 4:35 and 4:40 to pick you up. 

It was looking pretty cloudy (and I’ll admit I was tired and decided that I was hoping for rain), but I went downstairs to wait. Chenyl was late, but that is what happens when it rains (or looks like rain). We walked down the street with him talking nonstop…asking how can I say this in English—not just vocabulary words but phrases which is good but can be a little exhausting when the translations aren’t easily there…at the church we are in the first 10 people there (so I’m guessing this was not a 4:30 start night). He asks if I am cold which I definitely am not and so we sit somewhat close to a fan and a door for airflow. He then says that he wants to put his umbrella away…I don’t know where he went but he was gone for about 10 minutes during which time the pews around me filled up as the ushers seat you from the front and fill the pews. So we didn’t sit together. There were announcements, some communal prayers, solo songs from about 6 of the congregation members and then a sermon that was a lot of shouting. Handshakes on the way out.

Overall it was a similar experience to the churches that HOM sponsor. (Less yelling at HOM, but it isn’t entirely absent). It was nice to go out with Chenyl though it wasn’t far away.