Church in Tierra Muscady

Yesterday I got the chance to see one of the nineteen smaller Episcopal parishes near Cange. Father Kesner preached at Eglise Transfiguration de Tierra in Tierra Muscady. That church is supported by Church of the Incarnation in Highlands, NC, where Kesner will be preaching in two weeks. We went to Tierra Muscady with Jane Chaulker and a few others from Church of the Incarnation who were here in Cange for the week.

The trip to Tierra Muscady was one of my first to a village outside of Cange. We were able to take a car to the church, heading up the paved Route 3 until taking a right onto a rocky dirt road.

The service was a wonderful celebration of the Eucharist, with singing, dancing and incense. The inside of the church is very beautiful, with white walls and tile and simple yet elegant iron work in the windows. 

During the offertory, the villagers presented a supply of food which Kesner loaded in our cars to take back to Cange. The goods were delivered into the sanctuary through a procession and song, with children, adults and elders all helping to bring in the vegetables, fruits, live chickens and a goat.

At the end of the service, during announcement time, Father Kesner called me up in front of the congregation to introduce me and my work in Cange and the Central Plateau. I managed to get a few words of Creole out, but I have a long way to go to become conversational in the language. I know the best situations to learn the language are ones where I'm forced to use it or understand it, I just hope most of those situations aren't in front of a church congregation.

Afterwards, the church had a large meal for us with traditional dishes of goat, beans and rice, plantains, and various vegetables. Delicious! I'm very grateful for their hospitality and generosity and for the spiritual experience in Tierra Muscady. I hope to return soon to check out their new garden projects.