August 8, 2009, Saturday
I slept well last night. This morning the chattering of the children outside of the church woke most of us up by 7 a.m. I’m hiding in my tent again journaling. While doing this I heard several children wailing loudly and then the children weren’t by the church any longer. Patrick told me later that a lady with a cane came and caned the children and told them to go away from the church. Of course, after a while, they gradually returned or maybe it was a different set of children.
We ate chappati and tea for breakfast. I brought out the bag of trail mix that I’ve kept in my duffle bag. The team always enjoys this and it’s a nice treat at the end of the trip. We took down tents and organized. Pastor Michael came and we gave him the Bibles and the Book of Hope.
Some adults from the church and some children helped carry everything through the village down to the beach. A large group of children gathered behind me and accompanied me to the shore. While they loaded the boat, I led the kids in the cheer and song again. Then we all waved goodbye to each other as the boat pulled away.
There is a Jagusi Village #5 but we aren’t going there since there is no church and it is all Muslim. Today we traveled about 45 minutes to the small island of Simwe which has only one village called Simwe. When we arrived Patrick went to find the pastor and LC. They returned shortly. The man acting as pastor while the head pastor is on the mainland greeted us as did the LC and the BMU man. Several men, one woman and a couple of children helped us carry our things. This small village has only about 70 people and the LC said some have gone to other areas since the fishing here isn’t good. There is no church building but they recently started a church. We set the tents under the shadows of a large tree and put all of our things inside.
Only about 10 children greeted me for bongaing. A lady that spoke of English conversed with me. As the ladies cooked lunch, I rested under the tree at first but moved into my tent because a man and woman where have a shouting argument close to me. The breeze was cool in the tent so I took a nap and then read a book. #9 lying! We signed in with the LC who was sober and nice.
Then we signed in with the Michael, the BMU, who had been drinking! Another man who had been drinking haselled me for help for this poor village! Jessica asked for a Bible and she asked what I was going to give to the village. I told her I brought the Jesus film and that is all I give in the villages. I found out the shouting was because Michael, the BMU, had taken some fish from a child and the mother was shouting at him. Patrick or Grace had expressed our desire to buy some fish and I think Michael took the fish from the child in hopes of selling it to us! Michael is a joker (con man) and a drunk.
Needless to say, I didn’t get to teach today. Despite that, the whether was cool and pleasant and I got to teach the small group of children the cheer and song. The adults said the children had never seen a muzungu before. At dusk we step up the equipment and about 45 people watched it. This was our smallest crowd but this is also the smallest village and almost everyone in the village came. Michael, the BMU man, sat with Pius on the bench by the machines. The LC spoke with the microphone before and after the film. The team introduced themselves with the microphone too. After the film, I had Patrick invite people to be saved but no one responded.
As we were eating supper of rice, some men were talking loudly in the nearby hut. Patrick said that is the bar and those are the drinking men but they are discussing the film and Jesus! Glory! They have never seen this film before and the LC told Patrick it was very good for them to see it because maybe now some of them will stop their bad ways and be better people. As we ate supper the drinking men continued to discuss Jesus. Michael, who is the owner of the bar, was telling them that they need to go to church and pray in the morning before they go fishing so that God can bless their fishing. They continued to discuss loudly as we continued eating. Thank you, Jesus. I pray all will be saved! I told Patrick that most of this trip has been breaking up hard ground for planting the seed of the Word of God. We have been obedient to take the Gospel and God is in charge of the results. My heart was sad that they didn’t receive Jesus tonight because I don’t want any of them to end up in hell. I’m thankful for the film and believe they will continue thinking about Jesus.
As I laid down to sleep, I could still hear the men talking loudly. I’m looking forward to returning to Sigulu tomorrow where I can bathe and rest before going back to the mainland on Monday. We’ve spent 13 days in the tents and I’m ready to be clean and to rest well at night.
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to take the Gospel to these villages.
