Sundays in Tete
You probably think you know what we do on Sunday mornings in Tete.
Actually, we probably don't do what you expect. Since we work with Bible Translation for a language group that has a lot of influence in the city, we find ourselves keeping up contact with many churches in the area. That is good, but it means that we don't really have a "home church" here either. This is complicated by the fact that we now don't have a car to take us around on Sunday mornings.
When the kids were little and most of the churches were hot and crowded, they cried and begged to go out and dig in the dirt. The African kids all sat in a row and didn't make a peep during the service. I'd get pulled on to go out with kids and miss most of the preaching.
As they got bigger, Mikael was usually called on to preach somewhere. I'd stay home on those weeks and we'd "do Sunday School" at home. The kids loved this and I did too. But it didn't seem right to NOT be in church on Sunday mornings. When we were in our usual church, I started bringing a few things to have a little Children's church... the kids liked it, but it was never recognized by the adults. The leadership didn't seem to mind that half the kids were milling around termite mounds spitting in the mud to make clay to play with while the Word was preached to the adults inside.
This time around, we are living on a church property. The church is about 50 feet from our door. There is a Sunday school after about an hour of singing inside. My kids don't remember Portuguese. They remember Children's Church in the USA and Sweden. They don't WANT to be with the Sunday school and they don't WANT to sit in church with Mom and Dad. So, we are struggling with our Sunday mornings again.
We feel it is important to gather with believers on Sunday and it is important to instill that habit in our kids. BUT making them sit through a service they don't understand hasn't been helpful. We are distracted and can't really get much out of the preaching either. If we let them stay home are we teaching them wrong habits? If we divide up and one of us teaches them at home the other is in church, and that doesn't feel right either.
So, we really would appreciate your prayers. Soon we will have a car on Sunday mornings. We will be able to visit other churches again. Our kids will have to sit through meetings they don't understand. We want them to have a positive experience in Mozambique, but the Sunday Morning Meetings are one of the most dreaded occasions of the week. Suggestions are welcome... make sure that you click "comments" below this post, follow the instructions, and your suggestions will appear for all the world to see!
Actually, we probably don't do what you expect. Since we work with Bible Translation for a language group that has a lot of influence in the city, we find ourselves keeping up contact with many churches in the area. That is good, but it means that we don't really have a "home church" here either. This is complicated by the fact that we now don't have a car to take us around on Sunday mornings.
When the kids were little and most of the churches were hot and crowded, they cried and begged to go out and dig in the dirt. The African kids all sat in a row and didn't make a peep during the service. I'd get pulled on to go out with kids and miss most of the preaching.
As they got bigger, Mikael was usually called on to preach somewhere. I'd stay home on those weeks and we'd "do Sunday School" at home. The kids loved this and I did too. But it didn't seem right to NOT be in church on Sunday mornings. When we were in our usual church, I started bringing a few things to have a little Children's church... the kids liked it, but it was never recognized by the adults. The leadership didn't seem to mind that half the kids were milling around termite mounds spitting in the mud to make clay to play with while the Word was preached to the adults inside.
This time around, we are living on a church property. The church is about 50 feet from our door. There is a Sunday school after about an hour of singing inside. My kids don't remember Portuguese. They remember Children's Church in the USA and Sweden. They don't WANT to be with the Sunday school and they don't WANT to sit in church with Mom and Dad. So, we are struggling with our Sunday mornings again.
We feel it is important to gather with believers on Sunday and it is important to instill that habit in our kids. BUT making them sit through a service they don't understand hasn't been helpful. We are distracted and can't really get much out of the preaching either. If we let them stay home are we teaching them wrong habits? If we divide up and one of us teaches them at home the other is in church, and that doesn't feel right either.
So, we really would appreciate your prayers. Soon we will have a car on Sunday mornings. We will be able to visit other churches again. Our kids will have to sit through meetings they don't understand. We want them to have a positive experience in Mozambique, but the Sunday Morning Meetings are one of the most dreaded occasions of the week. Suggestions are welcome... make sure that you click "comments" below this post, follow the instructions, and your suggestions will appear for all the world to see!
I suggest a basket of food and things to do; sit in a corner of the Church and entertain your babes quietly whilst listening to the sermon. We now have the dilemma where our children have chosen different Churches to worship! So we are currently alternating by week. Christopher wont always go to Sunday school, but he's happy to sit in big Church quietly. Love you all...
ReplyDeleteWe have started going to the Elim Bilingual service now that we have wheels! The kids enjoy the Sunday school, and one of Katie's classmates is attending!
ReplyDelete