Sunday At A Different Parish

 

I didn’t get to go to the Holy Spirit Church for mass today because there was no driver available.  It was okay though because Sister Veronica made me breakfast and for the first time in a long time, I had something besides cornflakes and powdered milk for breakfast. She made me an omelet with bread and, praise the Lord, hot coffee! I haven’t been able to boil water in the electric kettle to make hot coffee because the power has been out every morning, and I need a lighter for the stove to boil water. Hopefully I can buy one soon. Any way the food was so good!

 

After I got dressed, two Sisters walked with me across the street to a different church called St. Guido Conforti. It’s a much larger congregation led by an Italian priest called Father Jerry. Everyone greeted me and all the children would come up to me to grab my hand. During the mass I sat in between the two Sisters. One little girl chose to sit next to me. She loved holding my hand and playing with my hair. Most of the children here seem fascinated with my hair.

 

The church choir sang beautifully. They were led by a young man whose voice range is a tenor. I told him later how beautiful his voice was. The music was a lot of drums and other percussion instruments. That day was also Father Jerry’s birthday, so the congregation sang to him and gave him gifts. After the service was over, one of the Sisters took me to a community hall next to the church where they were celebrating children who were becoming altar servers. They served everyone lunch (chicken and rice) and passed out fruity sodas I had never seen before. I had one called a “Tik Tock”. After only having water to drink for the past week, a cold soda was heavenly. At one point, the little girl who had been sitting next to me began dancing in the middle of the hall, making everyone laugh. I believe her name was Vanya, but I think that’s wrong.

 

Later, some more priests joined the group. One was another priest from Italy. He introduced himself as Father Brioni. At first his name didn’t sound familiar, but then he told me his first name, which is Luigi. It turns out, he knew Janice England who was in Sierra Leone when she did her mission. Janice had told me about Father Luigi when I was still in training. Father Luigi and I exchanged contact information before the Sister and I went back to Stocco compound. I hope we can meet up sometime and talk about mission work.

 

When we got back, Sister Vivian had made me lunch as well. I felt bad because I had already eaten at the church, but the food she made was so good I had a second lunch. I told her I would take the rest to my house for dinner.