Bambelela

I have been reading Revelation 7:9-12 a lot lately in thinking about all the people from all the nations I am around every day and how amazing worshiping our GOD is. In church Sunday morning this became a beautiful reality for me. I attend a church called Ithemba which means “hope”. It is a Xhosa speaking church, but most of the service is in English. The worship leader is from Zimbabwe. On Sunday there was a guest guitarist from Argentina. I know a woman who attends who is from Swaziland. My friends and I make up the American portion. So many languages and cultures in one place all worshipping GOD together. Sunday morning I was so overwhelmed by this all I could do was praise GOD from the back of the church while singing and dancing to HIS rhythm in my life.

There is a song I learned when I came to South Africa called Bambelela. It is simply translated “hold on”. I have learned this song in four languages and sung it in two countries, not counting when I had it stuck in my head when I was in America for the holidays. We sang this song in worship Sunday morning and I heard GOD tell me to hold on. Around the world in all things hold on to HIM for comfort and peace and everything I need.

Xhosa: Bambelela, bambelela, bambelela, bambelela … Jesu bambelela …

English: Hold on to Jesus, hold on to Jesus…

Afrikaans: Hou vas aan Jesus, hou vas aan Jesus…