Church

I can already hear the beats of the drums coming from deck 3 as I leave my cabin and head down the hall. At the bottom of the blue stairs, my 2 minute commute to church is complete. I see patients and nurses strolling into fill the seats in the ward. Its crowded today and I look for a spot to sit and a baby to hold. I greet each person with a handshake and then place my hand over my heart- as it is custom to do in Sierra Leone. This is not your typical church... but then how do you define a typical church?

So here, pews are replaced with wheelchairs and Sunday best is a hospital gown. There is only one set of drums, no slides of lyrics, no microphones, only are voices to sing. "Tell him, tell Papa God Tenke" we sing together. We quickly transition to more songs, singing only a verse, then the chorus of "Lord I Lift Your Name" before going on to an African version of "It is Well." The Spirit must lead us as we sing because there is no set list or computer telling us the next words to sing. As we finish singing glady glady songs (Krio for worship songs), prayers echo the room from every mouth, from every heart. Each week, a different crew member delivers a message from what God is teaching them in their life. What a blessing it is to hear how God is working in someone's life and not having to worry about a debate about theology. There is always a translator in the front, which is really just the doorway of the ward, no stage necessary. I listen intently to the translator as well to pick up some of the local language and today he even translated our speaker's laugh for us. As you can imagine, the patients and crew erupted in laughter. No one is afraid to speak their mind as hallelujahs are interjected in the message. Other translators are strategically placed among the patients that have come from up country and even Guinea. I look around and realize one day we will all understand each other without a translator. One day, there will be no more casts on these little ones' legs, no bandages around my patients heads where once a tumor had taken over their face. No more pain, or crying, or sickness. We will be side by side- from every tongue, tribe, and nation. One day this is what church will be, the body of Christ, coming together to sing glady glady songs to our God and King.