We’ve seen “Calvary Baptist Church” around the corner from where we're staying in Bolga with Anthony & Laura and we decide to worship there.
We thought the service was 10.30 am, but it was 10 am so we arrive in the middle. The preacher is taking a passage from Matthew, and his style is “And now a question for the women……” “And now, a question for the men”. This turns out to be a preliminary sermon.We’re asked of course to explain who we are, where we’re from, what our mission is, etc. All is of course translated into the local language.
And now (we ducked this in Walewale, but are ready for it this time), do we have a word for the local church? I explain our Milton Keynes minister Chris preaching a year ago on God’s call to Abraham when Abraham was very comfortable in Haran, and Charlotte’s reflection and prayer on this which ended up with the VSO assignment. (She invited me to tell the story).
Simultaneous translation hits a bit of a hiccup, which is resolved by double translation – the minister translates my words into Ghanaian English and then the local language man translates that. This works fine. The minister then commences the sermon proper, but says “I was going to preach on God’s call, but what I was going to say in the first half, the white man has said it all – this is an example of the way God works”.
A welcome quiet day then at Anthony & Laura's, though Francis the carpenter and his son are still busy building the chicken run.
The chicken (Akaroogu?) doesn't realise what delights await him.
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