August 21, 2009, Friday
This morning we were able to leave by 10 a.m. Thank you, Jesus! I tried to send emails before I left but was unable to do so. We picked up Godfrey and Richard and after buying our food we were on our way to the same hills over looking Lake Victoria. We arrived at Tongolo and picked up Pastor Christopher and Saul and then went up the hill and across to Pastor Paul’s house. At his house we got out of the truck because he wanted to show us his matooke plantation. Godfrey and Badru are interested in planting matooke. We met Paul’s wife, Beth and his mother. Then we went on up the hillside to Grace UMC built by SOK in 2003. The church is a large structure with shutters and a covered porch overlooking Lake Victoria. The bats have made there home inside so it smelled awful. We set up the equipment and played some music for about 30 minutes then I began teaching. When I started there were about 25 children and 5 adults but by the time I finished there were about 60 people total. After the Ten Commandments, Salvation, and Holiness teaching, I taught about the power of our words and how to use the Sword of the Word of God to defeat Satan.
After my teaching the church choir sang for about 20 minutes. Then when I tried to start the generator, it wouldn’t start. The men came to assist me and finally Badru was able to start it.
It seemed the fuel had been leaking or else it had flooded and was leaking. Either way, I was concerned that we wouldn’t have enough fuel to finish the film. God is a God of multiplication and he multiplied the fuel so we had enough for the film and for Godfrey to call people up for salvation afterwards with the microphone. Glory to God! Two ladies got saved! Then Richard called all the children forward who wanted to get saved and about 40 of them came forward and prayed. Hallelujah!
During the film we sat outside and the church ladies had prepared lunch for us: chicken, fish, cassava, sweet potatoes, g-nut sauce and chadda from millet flour. The men ate heartily and I ate lightly. The food was good but the decongestant that I’m taking for my sinuses makes me not hungry.
Pastors Godfrey and Richard asked me to take some of their hand crafts to the US to market them. They want me to help them so they can make some money for church benches, etc.
I told them I’d pray about it. Since I have my Mariposa business and I resell items I buy in Uganda that part isn’t the problem. The hesitation is that I don’t want the responsibility of setting up a business of marketing for them on a continuous/permanent basis and they would be depending on me for their income.
Today is my last day to work with these two men but they said if I could take a sample of maybe 5 or 10 sets of necklaces, earrings and bracelets they would bring them to Iganga to me before I leave. I could take the samples and see if there is a market in the US for them. They also have baskets and mats but I told them I don’t have room to carry those in my suitcases. I will pray and think about it. I will call them to let them know. The items are made by the men and their wives not the people in the churches.
Before leaving the church, I taught the children the Jesus cheer, which they really enjoyed. On the trip back, I gave Godfrey and Richard the Ten Commandments posters for their Bible School. I also gave them 5 Lugandan Bibles to give to the students at the Bible School. They need 14 but I only have 5 that I have planned to give to a church on Monday, but I decided not to go to a church on Monday so I gave the Bible students these Bibles. The men were happy. Their focus is to win souls, make disciples and plant new churches. They love the Lord and they are passionate about advancing His Kingdom. It’s been a blessing working with them.
I was home by 6:30 which is before dark! I rested, showered and waited for the rest of the group to get home for eating supper. Mama Jonah, the housekeeper and cook, prepares food before she leaves at 6:30, but we usually don’t eat until after 9 or 9:30, depending on when everyone is back at the house. Susan is usually the last one home, so we are often waiting for her. We had supper of matooke, spaghetti, chicken and greens. After eating I went to bed and went to sleep quickly.
Thank you, Lord, for the planting and watering of seeds and the harvest. God you are so good all the time. Thank you, for the energy to continue each day. Thank you, for healing in my sinuses.
