Adventures In Rwanda

I quite like praying here, esspecially the songs in Kinyarwanda. I had a church visit experience I would like to share.

As I entered the church, my friend explained to me that prayers would be from 8:30-9:15. I noticed the podium stating "Rwanda For Jesus" etched in wood and then a fellow pacing down an aisle muttering to himself. I thought, ah, he must have mental illness. It wasn't until I perused the place and saw about 18 others doing the same thing (including my well-educated, quite composed, and intelligent line manager from work, who I knew was a pastor at this particular church). I heard a lot of "wadop, wadop", which is definately NOT Kinyarwanda, saw arms raised into the air, and some folks falling to their knees. At about 9:15, about 8 people came up onto stage. Accompanied by 2 electric keyboards and 2 electric guitars, they sang with zest.
Following, the preacher came on stage (his mercedes was parked outside and his beautiful wife, beautifully dressed, sat in the front row). He anounced that the church absolutely needed a new set of drums which would cost 400,000 RwF (about 800 dollars). (Mind you, a typical teacher salary here is 40,000 RwF = 80 dollars /month). The next 45 minutes felt like an auction house. He started asking that 1 "man" pay the total, as he said, "you can afford it". When there were no takers, he sought lower bidders. Eventually, he raised the entire sum!
After the fundraising was complete, a familiar visiting preacher from Swaziland was introduced. Dressed in a white pin-striped suit that was about 6 sizes too large for him, he opened his sermon by saying the church needed 3 things: spirtual power, economic power, and political power. Fo the next hour and a half, he did not mention spirtiual power again. His voice was so loud in the microphone, I definately thought I would have the opportunity to use my Sign Language sooner then later. I was quite grateful when the electricty went out! He taught us that the silver and gold did not belong to us ("turn to your neighbor and say, the silver and gold does not belong to us! it belongs to G-d!...the silver and gold does not belong to us, it belongs to G-d") We need to give our silver and gold to the church so that the church can go on the radio and TV and spread the word of G-d. Turn to your neighbor and say "money" "money", "again!!" "MONEY"!!!....He talked of Nigeria and how, of course, we all know how "those Nigerians" are so innefficient...But there are "shake-ups" all around this world, with AIDS and street children...and even those Nigerians who are so backwards have the right idea about how to stop these shake-ups. They say "Lawdy"(the congregation/audience chuckled aloud as the visiting preacher made fun of Nigerians) "Lawdy, here is my silver and my gold". And they do it right! The proof: we [the world? Rwandans] are no longer watching Chuch Norris films, we are now watching Nigerian films!!!!! Turn to your neighbor and say "shake-up" shake up" again...!
Following the visitor's sermon, we all got up and walked to the front of the church to donate our silver and gold to G-d.
After this English and French service and sermon, the Kinyarwanda followed. About 20 folks came up on stage with one lead singer. Although I have never been a big concert goer, I imagine this felt like a mix between a concert with the Indigo Girls (lots of hand holding), Metallica (lots of sliding on knees), Criss Cross (lots of bopping up and down in small jumps), Phish/Dead (lots of speaking in tongues), and of course, Michael Jackson (lots of moon walking)!!!!