January 28, journal
This morning I was awakened in the tent by a man talking. As I went outside, Patrick said the man had come for prayer for his eyes. He is a member of this church and saw the film last night. He saw Jesus heal the blind man. We prayed for the restoration of his sight and we are believing for the manifestation of that healing. People began to gather outside the church by 8 a.m., while the ladies were heating water for tea.
Dina, a woman from the church, came for prayer for pain in her back and her knees. Ken and Pius helped me with the translating, so I could pray for her. After prayer the pain was gone! Glory to God! She was jumping and dancing, she was so free of pain! Hallelujah!
People brought us gifts to show their appreciation: 2 bunches of matooke, a chicken, 3 eggs,
and some soybeans. The pastor was so happy that we had come and wants us to come back.
After tea and mundas for breakfast, the people helped us carry our things to the boat. It’s wonderful having helpers! Thank you, Lord! It was about 200 yards down the hill to the boat.
By 11:30 a.m. we were off to the next village with a side trip to a fisherman in his boat out in the lake. We were shopping for fish again, but he didn’t have any for us to buy. By the time we got to the landing for Namafu Village it was noon. The lake was beautiful, the air fresh and the variety of birds in the air. It was hot by noon and we waited in the boat about 30 minutes in the sun while Patrick went for the pastor. No one met us at the landing. Baby Hope was hot and cranky so Grace let her play in the lake water to cool off. She loved it! We got off of the boat and alternating waiting in the shade of a small tree and letting her play in the water. No one came to help us. Seems the pastor was at a seminar and wouldn’t be back until about 4 p.m.
About 1:30, with the help of a teenager from the church named Jennifer, we started carrying things up the hill about a half mile to the church. Ken got some children to help carry things and someone let us use their bicycle, so we had two to carry the heavy things. I continued to sit in the sun with an umbrella by the stuff to keep it safe while the team took things up. I finally arrived at the church about 4 p.m. Four hours in the heat of the sun and a very dry climate can zap your energy. I rested while the food finished cooking. We finally ate lunch of matooke and eggplant about 4:30 p.m.
We have 4 chickens now and Mary took them out of the box to let them feed and drink. She tethered them first. The largest chicken was left in the box, but later tipped the box over and got out. Two children and the two ladies tried to catch that chicken. They finally cornered it in the church and captured it. I call this “catching supper on the run” because after being caught it was beheaded in preparation for our supper tonight. I rested in the shade with Baby Hope and interacted with a half dozen small children for about an hour. Then it was time to set up the tents and equipment for the evening film. I didn’t teach today. No one from the church greeted us except Jennifer. We will be here two nights, so I’ll teach tomorrow. I went with Patrick up to the main center of the village to sign in with the Local Chairman and met Pastor Peter, who isn’t pastor of this church but standing in for the real pastor who is still at the seminar. This village is larger than the others we have been in and has a video hall and several bars for drinking alcohol. We are blessed that the church is a small distance from the noise of the trading center.
Pastor Peter spoke before the film started. At first we had about 50 children but more people came as the music finished and the movie started. The moon is almost full so we didn’t even need torches (flashlights) to work the equipment. We showed the children’s version tonight and will show the adult version tomorrow night. I sat on a black fabric by some bushes in the moonlight and listened to my music and prayed during the film. I saw people continue to come to see the film all the way until the end. Ken and I surveyed the crowd to estimate the number, which is very difficult. There were about 200 people of which probably 75 were children. At the point in the film where Jesus was laid in the tomb, the power went off. Patrick went to check and the cord had a short and the plug burned out! Strange event. We have used that cord for about three years and never had a problem. The people had to leave without seeing the end of the film, but I told them to come back tomorrow night. God willing we will have it fixed or a new cord.
As the people left, Patrick continued working on the plug. He reconnected the wires and did get the power back on. He is amazing. He can fix anything! However, we are not comfortable depending on a burned out cord for the next week, so tomorrow he will go to the mainland to buy a new cord.
We had supper of matooke and the largest of the chickens. The chicken tasted delicious. The ladies are such good cooks. Cooking here over small charcoal stoves takes hours. They are continuously cooking. We eat well. As a matter of fact, I can’t eat as much as they do. I get full really fast on this wholesome food. No empty calorie foods that make you want to eat more.
After bathing, I was in bed by 11 p.m., at least an hour earlier than usual. Thank you, Lord for the blessings and challenges of the day. Before sleeping, I had to forgive and release the people of this church for not greeting us or helping us carry things today. The other villages have been so helpful that I had expectations of this one doing the same and then I judged them. Forgive me Lord.
