The church in Tubakuta was packed on Sunday morning for the ordination of the first pastors in the Presbyterian Church of Gambia! The worship service started almost two hours late, which isn't uncommon. It made me feel a little better about City Church's worship service starting just 10 minutes late most weeks :) All those believed to be coming were waited for patiently. People had nowhere to be except for with each other.
The service itself was deeply moving. The singing was beautiful and celebratory. There was lot's of clapping and dancing. Participating in the laying on of hands during the ordination ceremony was a special moment for me. I also had the privilege of preaching from Genesis 12:1-3 about how God's recovery plan for his broken world involves gathering a people from out of the world and then sending them into the world as ambassadors of Christ. I had no idea that my preaching would be translated into Wolof (a local language of the people) until I started speaking! But I was able to adjust. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity. A celebratory meal lasting hours was held after the service. A dish called benachin was served in common bowls. It was a historic day for the Church in The Gambia.
I arrived back in Dakar, Sengal at 3 AM Monday morning. I head to the airport tonight around 11 PM and arrive in D.C. late tomorrow morning.
