Gospel Train, Hallelujah.

Picture this; a train car during morning rush hour, packed with mainly black people with the exception of our group of 39, singing praises to God in a language I do not understand.
Hello, Gospel train.
It started as a very early morning with students mixing yawns with excitement at the novelty of riding the infamous gospel train. We poured off our bus, the leaders bought our tickets and we waited in line in an outrageously packed train station, amongst hundreds of people heading to work. You could hear the gospel train arrive in the station, thanks to the magnificent rhythm and voices these Africans have.
Now to clarify what the gospel train is; during morning and afternoon rush hour the gospel train is certain cars on different trains that have singing and praising and praying and preaching on them. We were blessed to have this opportunity as we rushed to squish our 39 onto an already squished car. We sang a song our group had practice “Guide my feet” and we sounded pretty good if you asked me for a group of white people singing/screaming at the top of our lungs. Ok, so maybe we were not that great actually. Even though most of the singing was in a language different then mine and the singing was way beyond me in my lacking vocal skills, it was incredible to praise the same God as my sisters and brothers of South Africa.
Side note, I cannot write about he incredible beats and rhythms I have experienced here. Train side drumming mixed with foot stomping is more than my mere words can express. Unfortunately, our train mysteriously broke down which killed the praising as people jumped off the train so they could walk the tracks to work. Something illegal in Canada but hey, this is Africa.
Overall the gospel train was phenomenal. I thought I had “how to do church” down pat, and I thought I had experienced every church & denomination. That said, I had never been on a train church before.
Gospel Train, Hallelujah.
-Laura Hill