Church for the Athiest

I went to church today! It's the first time I've worked on a Sunday since I arrived so it's my first time going to a church here. I imagine most people reading this are imagining me living maybe in a mud hut, almost certainly the scene is very orange with dust/dirt on the floor instead of grass and the only vegetation is small and bush-like probably orange (or dead). You're also probably imagining African Church to be like what you see on TV with lots of gospel music and people randomly just standing up and singing. Oh and the population in your head is entirely black.

So all of that is NOT what it is like here. The area I'm in is very westernised (I'm sat in a Virgin Active for crying out loud!), there are lots of trees. Loads of grass. I live in an actual building made of bricks. The church the children go to is also very 'western' and the population is majority white. But it was still a very interesting experience. I got to sing "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night" in Afrikaans and I had to explain to the children why I didn't take communion (I think that's what it's called, the bread and wine?) and then explain to some very confused children why I didn't believe in God without pushing my beliefs onto them. I personally don't believe in a God and sometimes I disagree that they're never given a choice between religion and science, I think they're not taught the science theory at school. But sometimes I think it's good that they have something to believe in. A greater power if you will especially after what some of them have been through, it's nice that every night they pray for their sister to get better or their Mum to get better so they can got home and they truly believe it will help. I almost envy their faith then.