Howard and I are continuing to meet warm, welcoming people here in Toliara. The church next door to Bishop Todd and Patsy's apt. has an English-speaking service every Saturday afternoon. Everything in the service is in English. People come not only from nearby but from a distance to participate in the service and visit in English with each other. Many of those who come are adolescents and young adults. Their enthusiasm and joy is contagious as they greet each other and sing together. We are looking forward to the service tomorrow, as the mission team from Florida will have arrived and will introduced. They will be welcomed with the traditional clapping welcome that we will share and demonstrate on our return.
Each Saturday prior to this service, the church's Mothers' Union (ECW) visits a person or family that has been unable to come to church recently to see how they are doing and let them know they are missed. On a recent Saturday Patsy and I went with them to visit two elderly sisters in the neighborhood by the church. One of them had been quite ill and the other has been caring for her. They live in a one-room thatched house with a tin roof. As the pictures show, they were very pleased to be visited and also loved having their picture taken. They kept saying that the pictures make them look old and laughing, then wanting another picture taken. I got prints yesterday of several pictures to take to them.
Veloma (goodbye) for now,
Fr. Howard and Peg
After the visit, the children who had gathered outside their home walked with Patsy and with me back to the main street and the market.
Last Sunday morning, we visited the church in Andronamena, one of the communities in Toliara and the location of the Gathering Center. People there now know us as we have been there several times and greeted us warmly.
Howard officiated at the Eucharist and blessing of the children.
At the conclusion of the service, several young women sang a "special song" for us with their church leader Daceys. Although we often recognize the tune of the Malagasy songs and hymns, this one was new to us and lovely!
After the service Howard and I visited with Daceys and his brother. They live next door to the church. Daceys participated in the photo workshop and in the youth conference held this week in Toliara. Aubin, the translater who helped me with the photography workshop, facilitated our visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment