Feb 7th--Playing Piano in Church & Still Hungry!

February 7, 2010

Church was pretty good. I told Bertha last night that I was going to leave around 8:20 or 8:30 so I could get to church and play piano on time for 9 o’clock. I got up and was writing the email and stuff and was waiting at the table like a usually do when I am ready to eat. We are still working out the kinks on how I eat, which is why I am always hungry. But I ate at 8:45 and grabbed some of breakfast out the door to catch a taxi. Again, no one is really working on Sundays so I waited another ten mintues to fill up the taxi to Abakrampa, or known as ABK. I was 5 minutes late and they were already singing the opening hymn. I felt bad about being late, but I knew it wasn’t that big of a deal to anyone but me.
I sat at the piano and played the sacrament hymn. It was Fast and Testimony Meeting. Brother Imbrah, first councilor started with English bearing his testimony, but I think he couldn’t find a lot of the words so he switched to Fante. He was telling a story about how he was healed form his sickness he was having a few weeks ago. I felt the spirit warming up my heart. I then listened to the children as they say “good morning lkdsfskfj (something in Fante)” and the congreation relies “good morning” or they say the equivalent of good morning in Fante, and they reply in fante. The kids memorize scriptures and say “my testimony is John 1 :5 for example or something like that and they quote it and say In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. A lot of kids did that. Then a few adults got up. Then there was a pause, and I was just spacing off until Brother Imbrah caught my vision. He was signaling for me to go. I pointed to myself like “Me? Me?!?” He nodded yes. So I asked again knowing the answer but hoping for something different “ME!!!!” and he said yes to come up. I was planning on learning a little more fante before I bore my testimony but the whole congregation had in their mind that I was going to bear my testimony even if I wasn’t ready. Well, it seems once again, the Lord knows best. Brother Imbrah translated after every sentence that I spoke. And I got teary-eyed a few sentences in. I started to cry a little and we continued. It was just amazing, the gift on tongues. The gospel. The spirit. God’s children able to praise our Heavenly Father through all of our differences and similarities.
After that, I played a little as the congregation ended and was moving to Sunday school. I went through Sunday school reading the lesson and reading scriptures. I did the same with Relief Society. Even though everyone is so excited for me to be there and so welcoming, I just feel over welcomed sometimes. Like, I know I am white and I don’t speak the language and that gives enough reason to be a purple cow for everyone to look at, but I just don’t like the attention I receive in front of huge groups. I just get all nervous and I feel unsettled. I hope I don’t come off as rude, but I really just want to sit there and read my scriptures unless something is in English. But it is just hard when they ask me to put in my input when I have no idea what the conversation was about or what everyone has already said.
After church, we got a taxi and the Sister paid for me. It was so kind of her. I then went home but the door was locked so I chilled with Annika and Theresea. I checked a few times to see if they had come back because I was hungry and wanted to change and grab the stickers for the kids. But they didn’t come home until I had already eaten at Elvis’s house and we were leaving. Elvis has been gone a few days now and none of us are sure where he really is. That’s Elvis for you though. He is a very busy guy with lots to do. At the house, I sewed Christy’s dress and fix Clements bed using a rock as a hammer and borrowing nails that the Incooms lent us so graciously. We hammered in the nails and now the kids can sleep on his thin mattress completely instead of the half bed he had been sleeping in. Annika left early because she was so tired. Theresa is very tired so and I am okay tired. I am just more hungry.
For the rest of night I will type and eat, hopefully a lot and then sleep. I will wake up at 4 to wake up Bertha to start her chores so she can go to school and then at 5:45 so we can walk up to the house early to help the kids get ready. Theresa and I will sleep at the house tomorrow night. Annika and I have started planning our trip for this weeknd to Volta Lake. I am excited. It should be really fun.