On Thursday and Friday we finished up the Pastor's School that Steve and I had been teaching in the morning. The pastors were blessed and excited to begin implementing some of the things they had been taught. We have a standing invitation to come back as often as we would like to continue the training. As always, my heart for the pastors is bigger than my ability to fund the trips. God will see fit to bring us back I'm sure.
After the Pastor's school on Thursday we went to the poorest area of Uganda to the Church in Wabulenja. This is the group that led worship at God's Garden. It was the most exciting service I had ever been apart of. People praising and dancing before The Lord is ways that I had not seen before. The spirit was in that place. I preached and then Steve preached and we saw 15 or more give their lives to Christ. As I'm writing this paragraph I realize there is no way I can convey what happened and you understand the full impact.
Friday night we were scheduled to go back to the same Church again for the second time. We were all excited about it and wondered what the night would bring. Bob let us out a little ways before we got to the church so that we could invite people and witness on the road. This was the first time that Steve had been door to door so you know he was taking full advantage of it. As we got to the Church the music had already started and the people were already praising The Lord with all their heart. The Spirit of God was thick in this place. Steve had asked me to preach first and God had filled me up with a message about Lazarus. There was so much freedom from The Lord. God was moving the hearts of the people and again about 15 received Christ. After Steve's message the congregation asked us to pray over the people and bless them. This was such a moving experience as the people came up one by one and one of the team members laid hands on them and prayed.
Through out the night the pastor kept saying that they wanted to bless us with a small gift of there appreciation. I was figuring they would pass the plate and collect what they could. Now remember this is the poorest Church that we know of in Uganda. So, at the end of the service they call all the team up onto the stage and they begin bring from outside an overwhelming amount of goods and laying them at our feet: mounds of sugar cane, fruits and vegetables, a chicken (a live chicken), eggs, nuts, corns, and grains. it completely filled up the stage. The whole team was overcome with emotion. We were sobbing uncontrollably as they continued to lay their incomes at our feet. I have been honored with gifts from Pastors and Churches all over the world but never to this magnitude. As we wept on the stage they continued to bring in more commodities that I know they sell for a living in the market. And the entire time they brought it in they were sing and praising The Lord. I saw the poorest Church give me the blessing of my life. O that we would learn to be a giving people. That we could give to The Lord with joy and thanks giving in our hearts.
They had so overwhelmed us with this blessing that the SUV we came in was completely packed from floor to ceiling. Then we had to borrow a van that was packed out from floor to ceiling as well. It was absolutely amazing and indescribable.
I come on the trips to bless people with God's word and I always and out blessed before I leave.
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