Marijke's Trip 2012: Sunday

On Sunday I had the day off so I could attend a church. There are several in town, but you have to sign up so they have enough drivers. A couple people had told me to go to the Fisher Village Church. Mercy ships has been in Togo before, and they started this church. The Fisher Village is not far from the ship, maybe ten minutes driving, and is, of course, right beside the ocean. The dress code was skirts past the knee and decent tops. The church building itself was just cement, no windows or doors have been put in yet, but it was nice because the breeze could blow through the church. The women sat in the middle section and the men on the right and us visitors on the left. The children had a sort of Sunday school outside. The service started with a long worship time, during which first the ladies went to the front of the church and walked a few circles, followed by the men, girls and than the boys. African people have a natural dance to the way they move. During prayer everyone prayed out loud. They display so much more joy than we ever do. This Sunday there wasn't really a sermon because the Captain of the ship had come to church also, so he did a short speech. I hope to go back to this church next time I can, but I probably will be able to only for three times because I work every other weekend and we are in Togo for only 6 more weeks. After the church was done we sat outside and talked to the locals for awhile.
In the afternoon everybody just relaxed and did their own stuff. At night there was a church service on the ship itself. There are four chaplains on board, and I think they take turns preaching. This Sunday it was about the footwashing. It was definitely a different Sunday than at home, but it was good. Sorry, I don't have a lot of pictures as of yet...