August 6, 2009, Thursday
Thank you, Lord for a good night’s sleep and no rain on the tents! I woke about 7 p.m. The children are outside the fence by my tent waiting for me to come out. I’m hiding inside while I journal. I thank the Lord for yesterday, for so many people seeing the film, for the good night’s sleep and the surprises of this new day. God’s mercy is new every morning! He has the plans!
After having breakfast of bread and tea, we started organizing and taking down the tents.
Pastor Michael came this morning and we had a chance to visit. He pastors the mother church of the one in this village. He lives here but pastors at village #5 which we will be at tomorrow.
I asked him about the pastor of this village and Pastor Godfrey was out of town yesterday but is back today. I asked him to have Godfrey come because I wanted to give him the Bibles and Books of Hope. Godfrey and his wife Martha came. They were very appreciative of the Bibles and the Book of Hope. Martha teaches the children. They have about 30 families in the church. These gifts were an encouragement to them. I expressed my disappointment at not getting to teach today. Pastor A said he didn’t know about my teaching or he would have arranged. That’s a #9, lie. Patrick told him a month ago when he arranged for us to come and I told him yesterday when we arrived and were sitting in the LC’s office. He said he would arrange for me to teach at his church tomorrow. He said he had talked to the Pastor of the church were we are going today and he is prepared for us. I asked him to call the pastor to arrange for my teaching. In front of me he called the pastor and said he would arrange for the teaching.
The pastors, children and some men helped us carry everything to the boat. It was a short distance, about 15 minutes to Jagusi #4 Village. We expected to be greeted by the pastor and have some helpers to carry the things. Patrick went ashore to find the pastor when he didn’t meet us at the landing. Many children greeted us and I replied from the boat. When Patrick returned he said the pastor wasn’t in the village today! Patrick went to check in with the LC and see where we could set up our tents. When he returned the children and one man helped us carry the things up hill to the yard of the LC. Thank you, Jesus, for a large shade tree to set the tents up under. It seems the church is very far to walk to with all our things and is probably locked since the pastor isn’t here! #9 #9 #9 Lying seems to be the problem. I forgive and release the pastors who lied to me today.
I was able to interact with the large group of children, about 40, who had gathered around me. I taught them the cheer in three languages and the song, “I’m a friend of God,” in two languages as the men set up camp and the ladies started cooking. I asked the children to sing to me and they were delighted to sing me the national anthem and school song along with a couple of others. After a time of doing this, I dismissed them to there homes for lunch and I rested on my cot for a while in the shade with a cool breeze. This place is so much cooler than yesterday’s campsite, which was so hot with very little shade.
When I took a hike to make a short call in the bushes, I walked past an area used for witchcraft. There were a couple of cow horns set up with a rock and some pots in such a way that looked like an altar. I did some spiritual warfare and continued to the bushes. Most of the villages don’t have toilets, people just go to the bushes. Imagine a thousand people defecating wherever they can find a spot away from their houses. Yuck! I have to be careful where I walk! Maybe that’s why things are so fertile here! For urination after dark, people just go anywhere. During the film showings men and children will walk away from the group just far enough into the darkness to go unnoticed and urinate. Then they rejoin the group. When I go to the bushes, I have one of the ladies stop the children from following me. I have had them follow me and share the information that I was using the toilet with their friends! I’ll be happy to have some privacy again when I go back to the mainland.
A lady from the church where we were supposed to be came to say she was organizing people for me to teach. Patrick told her when the people had gathered we would come. Meanwhile we ate lunch about 3 p.m. of spaghetti, posho and fish. I tried to rest again and read a book but the children were back from their lunch and talking to me. I ignored them and continued to read. A boy of about 9 ran up to me and grabbed my leg and then ran off laughing. He had been laughing inappropriately before with a mocking spirit. I fussed at the children to go away, but of course they didn’t. Patrick came with another pastor. Pastor Frederick’s pastor’s Deliverance Church and said he would arrange for me to teach. The lady who was supposed to be arranging for the original church came up and there was some discussion where I was to teach. They agreed to join their groups. As Patrick went to check out this church, I went into my tent to change into a skirt for teaching and to get my things for teaching. The children were just outside so I zipped my door and window closed so I could change clothes. As I did so, a child threw a rock at my tent door! I thought it probably was the obnoxious one who had grabbed my leg.
After changing when I came out of the tent, I fussed at that boy, but the group indicated it was a different boy and pointed him out. The boy left the group as they pointed him out.
After a while Patrick returned and I walked with him accompanied by about 50 children. Once Patrick told me to wait as he went ahead, so I took that time to do the cheer and some songs with the kids again. Then we proceeded to a small area between two rows of houses where chairs were brought out and a table placed before me so I could teach. After praying and singing, I was able to teach the Ten Commandments. It was already 5:30 when I started so I couldn’t teach everything I usually teach. The teaching had to be translated twice into Swahili and Luganda since people on these islands are a mixture from those two backgrounds. We ended with the children and adults singing “I’m a friend of God.” A young adult man assisted with the Bible reading and the translating into Luganda. He has a rebellious, unteachable spirit. When he couldn’t find the book of Deuteronomy, Patrick tried to help him but the man insisted it was in the New Testament! When we told him to read one verse, he’d read two! Language wasn’t a problem since Patrick was the one giving the instructions! After teaching, there was some discussion about where to set up for the film. This young man started telling me what to do and how to do it! I told me we knew what to do and that Patrick and the men would decide. This young man reminds me of Charles, a translator I had last summer.
We set up in a large open area and before we could start the generator we already had about a hundred people. Pastor Frederick invited the people with the microphone and then we played music for a while. I’ve been showing Luganda translation for the last several nights but tonight we showed Swahili. The crowd grew and grew until I estimated about 600-700 people! Glory to God! Thank you, Lord, for Pastor Frederick!
Shortly after the film started, the young translator, came to me asking for Bibles. I firmly told him no. After he left, Patrick shared that the man told him at 7 p.m. that he was supposed to take us to the pastor’s house up from the village. Patrick told him if he was to meet us and take us to the pastor’s home, it was too late now. We’d been here since noon and we weren’t moving our things now. #9 LYING If the pastor had told him to meet us, he didn’t. The pastor is out of town so why would we go to his house when he isn’t there! The man said we were staying in a bad place. The LC’s brother is a witchdoctor and does his witchcraft where we are staying. Patrick told him we were not moving tonight. The man insisted but Patrick was firm. Patrick said he learned from the lady who was trying to arrange for the teaching that the Pastor went to the church we were at two days ago for prayer and fasting!
Regardless of the lying and drama with the pastor and the translator, many people saw the Jesus film. I was able to worship and do spiritual warfare during the film. I praise God for the film and the opportunity that these people have to know and receive Jesus. After the film Pastor Frederick talked to the people and invited those who wanted to be saved to come forward for prayer. He gave me the microphone so we could start taking down the equipment. Then someone threw a hand full of dirt/gravel at us and the machines. The pastor got distracted by this incident and tried to find the person who was running away. Of course, I didn’t understand that the people were waiting to be prayed for because I was putting away the machines. I don’t know if the Pastor got to pray with them or not. Patrick shared later that the children had said some of the boys are really bad. They won’t behave in school or respect the adults. However, most of the children were delightful and happy to cheer and sing with me.
We ate beans and rice by the full moonlight before going to bed about 11 p.m. I did some praying about sleeping in the enemy’s camp. God is always faithful. Greater is He who is in us that he who is in the world. I’m grateful that I got to teach today and interact with the children. I’m thankful that so many people saw the film and that God brought Pastor Frederick to help us.
I plan to give him the Bibles and Books of Hope tomorrow.
