... it really was. Monday is usually our day off, but not today. We had a full and fulfilling schedule today. We got up early to drive to another funeral, but not just any funeral. Today we celebrated the life of a retired minister. He served the church his entire life and as a result, there was a certain joy in this one that I’ve never felt in a funeral before. The structure is the same as many others, but there were lots of extra special moments. First of all, I’ve never seen so many clergy in robes and collars, occupying the same space. Ministers from three countries came to celebrate the life of their beloved colleague. About a dozen of them were CTS alumnus and it was so fun to make connections with all of them!
A common tradition at PCEA funerals is for special groups to song a chorus to honor the deceased. All of his former congregations sent delegations to represent them. They all serenaded us while standing around the casket. It moved me to tears and is the most special moment I’ve taken part in since I got here.
After the service we proceeded to the cemetery next door. This was surprising to me because typically folks get buried on family property and this was the first cemetery I’ve seen since arriving here. The usual burial ceremonies were conducted. Pictured below you can see the clergy preparing the casket and the men of the family shoveling dirt into the grave.
On the way back we stopped to visit a Parish Member at the hospital. He was in the CCU following a blood clot. As soon as we saw his wife she started speaking praises about how God had carried them through. We were able to see him as well and he seems to be back to his usual spunky self. Bwana asifiwe! This evening we joined the Women’s Guild to kick off “Guild Week.” This week is celebrated by women throughout the denomination and is meant to encourage the women to support and give back to their faith communities. We sang, prayed, and planned activities for the rest of the week after George preached a sermon on 1 Peter 5. We practiced the theme song for the week several times and by the end I had actually memorized a chorus in Kikuyu. Didn’t think that was possible.... yeah I know, I know. Philippians 4:13 (Pastor George was quick to remind me of this).
When we returned home, we had a two hour dinner turned planning meeting to discuss my schedule for the coming weeks. After all the connections I made at the funeral this morning and all the invitations I received, we had to strategize what we can realistically fit into my schedule. It’s no secret that I’ve had some rough days here. On certain days I’ve even counted down the days until I return home. But, following our dinner conversation, I feel the opposite. For the first time, seven weeks feels like not enough time to do all that I hope to do while I’m here and what a blessing that is. ~ Nell in Nairobi