What does a church look like?

During our time here, we have seen every kind of church you can imagine. We've sat under beautiful cashew trees on matts and logs to worship and teach. We've been in mud churches, fired-brick churches, block churches, rock churches, cement churches, reed churches, canvas churches, and lean-to churches at homes. We've been under grass roofs, metal roofs, asbestos roofs, reed roofs, straw roofs, tile roofs, canvas roofs, and no roofs. In all cases, what was impressive about the church was not the building, the style, or the color but rather the people and how they related to the God of the universe. What was impressive was the prayer, the singing, the preaching, the worship, the giving, and the community of believers working together to share the good news. It truly isn't the building.

This past week, the people of our church at Machava built their church. It is simple reed church on a small piece of land. They ran out of metal roofing material, but temporarily that's ok because it lets light in and the rainey season is not yet upon us. They don't have doors yet, but they will come. This structure will also provide a place for training church planters, who have been meeting under a tree at a church members home. It is a start for which we are thankful and it is our prayer that this humble structure will be the start of something big in this community! It is the people and the lives tranformed by the living God that make the church.

Blessings!

Dave & Ann

"Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?...." Acts 7:46



(Photos demonstrate overall flow of construction with Pastor Abel (with tie) posing with many of the church people in the last one.)