worship, together.

{we took turns snuggling this sweet thing in Elisa’s church. we got super sweaty. and baby was wearing fleece sweats, and previously a toque!!!}

Okay. I know I haven’t been good at posting lately. I still have tons to say, but since I’m not right in the adventurous part at the moment, it feels kinda strange to blog about it. But let’s be serious. I always have something to say. I got to share in church last Sunday a little bit about my adventure. {and apparently, my name is now an adjective! according to [Pastor] Andy, I’ve had a “Carmel-style year”. I think that’s how he put it.} I was given 3-5 minutes. I went over. big surprise. Pastor Al asked me to condense it a little for the second service. I tried really hard. I tried to just focus on explaining my photos and what I was doing in Madagascar. I’m not sure it was any shorter. {I don’t actually know how much time I took up in either of the two services, but it was definitely over 5 minutes each time…} In any case, I’ve got lots to say. But who I am talking to greatly defines what there is to say. Some people just want to hear “it was awesome”, some want to hear about surgery, some about the exploring, some about what I learned and how I was stretched, some about the patients, some about my new friends, and some about anything I’ll tell them! So if we’re talking, feel free to ask questions and let me know what you want to hear about. Though I get asked about lots of statistics and numbers I don’t know, so I should maybe look them up… {but let’s be serious, that’s not likely. we can ask google together when you ask…}

{I also get to share at “Coffee with Carmel”, which a wonderful woman from work is hosting at her house on Saturday. It started as her and another dear woman wanting to chat with me, another joining the party, and someone else asking to come. So she decided to open it up to everyone from work and have it at her house. She put a note up at work for people to sign up (to have an estimate), but no one has… oh well. Guess I’m not as popular as I thought! But it’ll be great either way. I just hope we can get technology to be our friend and show some photos!}

Anyway, today I want to talk about worship. Hopefully it’s been clear in my life and in this blog that I am a Christian. I love God, I believe He created the universe, sent His Son Jesus to live a perfect life and die for my {and your} sins, and He came back to life after three days. I have put my trust in Christ for the forgiveness of all my awfulness and want to live life to honor and worship God.

{Sunday School at Elisa’s church. she translated for Kristell and me}

Mercy Ships is a global charity that “follows the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus to provide hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor”. Meaning that they love Jesus too, and share Him with patients, crew, and the community they are in. {though you are not required to be a Christian to serve with them} Every Monday, the OR team would meet at 0815 before starting the slate to welcome new crew, have a short devotional or “challenge”, and pray together. {each OR also started each day by discussing the plan for that day’s surgeries, and with prayer} Fridays we also started with a team meeting, except instead of welcoming new crew, we had to say goodbyes to those leaving Saturday.

{this was waiting for a Friday meeting. Tuesdays we got all the stools out of the ORs to sit on since it was longer. Karen, third from the left in a darker top, is also from Winnipeg!}

Tuesdays, though, there was an optional meeting at 0730 to worship God and have devotions together. The fact that I voluntarily woke up earlier than necessary to join them should tell you something. It was great hearing from “teammates” what they were learning and being challenged by. But first, we got to sing together. We had songbooks and Missy would tell us which one we were singing and start us off. Whether you’re an excellent singer or not, I love worshiping God together in song. There’s just something different about it. I don’t know if I can explain it. And it’s something altogether different and exciting to sing together with colleagues, your work team, praising God and thanking Him. LOVED IT.

Something else I loved was going to local churches for Sunday worship. Many had translation into English or French, but not all of them. One church some of my friends went to regularly was in both Malagasy and French, and our friend Josue {Jo-sway} translated the French into English for us. {I could understand some of the French though, which was great!} {okay, sidenote: when we sat down for church, Josue said I was supposed to behave myself in church and not make trouble… well, I told him he should’ve said something before we got there because it was too late now! Near the end of the sermon, he told me I was doing a good job. I thought he meant at looking up the Bible verses we were reading, which would still be something strange to congratulate me on. Then I realized he meant on not making trouble!! And yes, he is one of my friends that just referred to me as “Trouble” all the time.}

One of my {many} favorite things was when there would be a song in Malagasy that I knew in English and could sing along with. Others from the ship often also knew the song but in their home language. We sang in many different languages, but the same song praising the same God together. So excellent. I also loved when a church had the words in Malagasy for me to try and follow along. I cannot describe how amazing it was to worship with these churches. Everyone freely praised God loudly and in whatever way they liked. I was also super impressed by the translators. They processed and switched languages so quickly! During one service the pastor and translator kept switching which language they were each speaking, which seemed even more difficult to keep straight!

{Elisa’s church, in a poorer area}

Elisa’s church was one where everything was just in Malagasy. I had the privilege of going with my Malagasy sister {OR translator} to her home church with some crew-mates, and then to her home for lunch twice. While I liked to pretend with her that I was fluent, that’s not quite true… And when they asked if someone would come to the front and say something, I did need to bring her up to translate. But I loved just listening to the worship and knowing that we were all praising the same God. The one who created each of us and the entire universe, and cares for every single person. The same God my church and family at home were worshiping. It was truly incredible to just sit and rest in God’s peace throughout a service that I did not understand about a God that I know well. Especially since I’d been feeling so ‘unsettled’ about having to leave the ship and my friends there, and what would be next for me.

{in front of Elisa’s church; they loved having their picture taken, especially when they could see it immediately, and wanted one with us. Kristell, a lovely woman, is in the front}

I have fabulous video footage of singing, preaching and translating, and the most adorable little girl just twirling in her beautiful church dress that I want to share with you. However apparently I can’t put that type of file onto the blog. Aza fady!! In any case, the theme of this is that God is awesome. In all languages, in every part of the world, in people of every color and background, and on and on and on. He deserves our worship, and it’s just inspiring to praise Him with His other children, in many languages and ways across the globe. I pray you are encouraged today to worship God, in whatever way you like, together with believers around the globe. He alone is worthy.