Drawing from his travels to visit MB churches around the world, ICOMB executive director David Wiebe offers insights on faith.
Photos: David Wiebe
I was quite amused, sitting there in church. It was the end of May, a sunny 30 degrees in upcountry Angola.
The church members had met us five ICOMB visitors as we approached the edge of the town of Cafunfo, 90 km from the Congo border. There were maybe 100 of them, standing in the sun for who knows how long. They broke into song, jubilantly walking all around us as we slowly drove to the church.
They sang a song about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The only thing they didn’t do was spread coats, blankets and palm leaves in our path!
A whole bunch climbed into the box of our half-ton, until someone noticed the tires were almost completely flat. Our driver Jean Claude told the crowd to walk, but we complied with their insistence that we march with them the rest of the way to the church. “It will be a witness to the community!” “People will notice us and know about our church!”
Of course. Three mundeles (“white men” in Lingala) surrounded by a congregation of singing, dancing local Christians did indeed attract a lot of attention.
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