RS and Other Church Thoughts

I’ve been thinking today, well I guess more the last couple of weeks, how would people react if the same questions that are asked or the same lessons that are taught in the Mombasa Branch were taught in my home ward. Would they fall away from the church or just laugh?

Today in Priesthood, Sam said that the teacher said “If anyone doesn’t like the person they home teach please raise your hand.” Priesthood is an interesting concept here. Lessons are often about the EQP urging people to tell their kids how much money they make. Andrew and Sam have both expressed delight about this repetitive lesson that goes over at least 10-15 minutes each week.

In RS, well it is just a whole horse of a different color. Today, our lesson was on nutrition. Well it was supposed to be on nutrition for mother and baby. During the nutrition portion of the lesson, we learned about the food groups: proteins, carbs, vitamins, and water. That makes sense. During the health portion, she wrote the word “bathe” on the board. Beatrice also expressed sorrow for the extra weight she was carrying after talking about exercise. She even jumped up and down to show us how she truly couldn’t jump anymore because of all the weight. The hygiene portion was very informative. People on the street can’t smile if they walk past you and you smell bad. We all need to wear deodorant. I agree.

I like RS though. (as Darlene refers to it.) Apart from the fact that you can’t hear over the children belting “mopping the floor is fun to do” as they play musical chairs in the next room, we all feel important in the society. New members and investigators are singled out and called upon for “contributions.” And at the end of every lessons, Karen, RS President, says “So who’d like to teach next week?”

Sacrament Meeting is easily the best part of church. I love being able to play the piano on the little electronic keyboard. Someone even stacked two chairs for me so that I can sit higher and not mess up so much. I think I’ve gotten past the finger shaking stage because the congregation is used to hymns without a melody and they carry on with or without you. The chorister sometimes picks a melody of her own. And everyone follows, Kenyan accents and all.

I’ll admit I laughed out loud when it had been about 15 seconds since someone went up and bore their testimony and the Branch President, from his seat, said that more people need to share testimonies.

I guess there is a lesson to learn from all of this. Our church is too awkward. At the Mombasa Branch, they tell it like it is. And they make everyone feel welcome. You have to shake every members hand at least 5 times before you can call it good and go home.