Being under lockdown has made it hard to worship but Rev. Paul Machira has found a solution to this challenge. He hosts worship sessions around apartments singing with his band.
He does this at apartments called Mirema located off a town in Kenya. His band includes a female vocalist, and electric guitarist and a keyboard player.
The Rev pairs dance moves with their tunes and the band is especially present to bring cheer and laughter to the heart of children.
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Soon after its first Covid-19 case was announced in mid-March, Kenya closed down schools. “You’ll find children being confined in their houses from the time they wake up till the time they go to bed,” said Machira, who has three children himself. “It’s been a difficult time.”
Machira’s group have been booked for as many as four services in one day before. This popularity means that they sometimes have to split into two, renting an additional van and musical equipment to cover more ground.
Machira and his colleagues provide the services for free, but it costs them in fuel and equipment rental.
Even though church gatherings are now something to hope for for the future, Kenyans stay faithful and hope that they will be able to go to church again as a large percentage of Kenyans are Christians.
Machira talks of missing human interactions and he wished churches were never closed but the coronavirus pandemic does spot a real threat.