A Church Meeting At The Local Medium-Security Prison.

Today we split up into two groups - Tim and Steve went with Luka to start the building a church while Peter and I went to a church near a medium security prison with Mchungaji for a Bible Study with the evangelists. We left here around 10:30 and were at the church by about 11. It was a beautiful church shaped in a hexagon. After we got there PH found out that he had to go back to LJS to register a couple for marriage so he left us at the church with the evangelists. We got some time to talk between the two of us about religion, faith, reasons for coming to Tanzania, and things we've noticed here (all of which will probably be in an upcoming blog post). When PH came back, him and the evangelists (all people we'd met on previous village visits) talked about the news of their churches - Peter and I understood very little of what was actually being said - we could pick up words here and there but by the time we started to understand what they were talking about, the subject had changed. Then we ate with the evangelists and around 3 we started a Bible study of the upcoming week's readings. Peter and I were able to follow along a bit better (in part due to our English-Swahili Bibles). Some of the Lutheran prisoners (the ones that could get off of work duty) came to the Bible study too. We then had communion and headed back to LJS. Peter and I went up for communion with the prisoners and only after we got into the car did we find out that two of the men there were murderers. Apparently, these two men had killed an Indian Muslim, cut up his body and then used it for medicine or black magic. They were supposed to be hanged but President Kikwete, who is very against the death penalty, pardoned them and now they live in the prison since it is too dangerous for them to be released.
When we got back it was about dinner time and we had the pleasure of eating supper with PH - not a normal occurance, he usually only eats breakfast at LJS. We got a chance to talk to him about the final arrangements for our independent studies - one of the women who heads up the street children school at Faraja (a local NGO) comes to LJS almost every day so I will be able to talk with her sometime soon. We made plans to go to the orphanage tomorrow as well. But then I asked PH something that has been on my mind a lot lately - especially with me wanting to do a job like his. I asked him what he likes most about his job (a corny question, I know). But his response was the perfect explanation of why I want to do work like his - he said that he likes working with the people and he loves the solidarity here. He enjoys that fact that people here live in solidarity and that he is able to live here in solidarity with them as well.
Soon enough the subject switched to the use of black magic here. It is something that I have had some skepticism with. It is quite prevalent here and it is not uncommon for people who use it to put curses on other people. He told us that in order for someone to learn the secrets of black magic they must commit themselves to the evil and as a part of it they often are required to sacrifice someone they care about. Hopefully more will come about this soon, as PH hopes to talk with the language school students about black magic on Monday.
All in all, it was quite a day - communion with 6 prisoners, talk about black magic, a Bible study, and some time to finalize plans for our independent studies. I think that if today has taught me anything it is that even prisoners are just people who have made mistakes and that PH's job, living a life of solidarity) is looking more and more like the right job for me.
Peace.