Good Old Jet-Lag

Good old jet-lag. I woke up this morning at 4:00am and couldn't go back to sleep. I had time to journal, pray, read the Word, pray, sit and ponder the universe, pray, and then pray some more before I got up to take a shower. All in all not a bad way to start out the day. We are staying at the Ebenezer Guest House here in Jinja. It is somewhat like a bed and breakfast, but not. All the tenants eat together and some share a bathroom and it is maxed out with people. We are meeting people from all over the United States that have come here for various reasons.

As we waited on our ride to the pastor school this morning, I asked Julius to give me his testimony and began to tell me a beautiful story of the heart of a woman missionary that came to his butcher shop and shared the gospel with him. He has since started churches and continues to pastor churches today. You never know the difference you will make with just one changed life. That is the very reason why we came.

Once we got to the school the students were in the middle of English class learning about simple subjects and predicates (it was a good refresher course for me.) And then it was time for Pastor Steve to get up and begin his Timothy Barnabus teaching. He had the guys in the palm of his hand. I thought some of them were going to roll out of their chairs they were laughing so hard. Then it was my turn to begin speaking about the call and job of a pastor as it relates to discipleship and the great commission. I spoke for about 1 1/2 hours and then it was time to break for lunch.

While Steve and I were preaching and teaching the girls were out in the village working with the kids and witnessing for The Lord. It was so biblical. They were going door to door, two by two, share the gospel though and interpreter. Steve and I found them as they were leading a 18 year old girl to The Lord and we watch her receive Christ. That was the ninth soul that morning that had received Christ. When the girls got back to the church they could no longer refrain the tears as they pondered how God had just used them in a mighty way to see these people pass from death to life.

If that wasn't enough for the day, we all hopped in the car and drove to a church in the middle of town called the prayer center. They hold a service there everyday at 1:00pm for anyone in the market place that wants to pray. As the singing began I leaned over to Steve and told him I was going out in to the Market to invite them in. (that was something I learned from Ralph Canada in our trips to Juarez, Mexico.) I grabbed the interpreter and away we went. As I was inviting people I was asked to pray over sickness and I was happy to accommodate.

As people rolled into the meeting, Steve got cranked up. He was preaching the hardest I have ever seen him preach and 20 people raised their hand that they had received Christ when it was all over. We rejoiced in The Lord and what he had done throughout the day. We encouraged and instructed the pastors, we led people to Christ in the village and saw more make a decision for Christ in the midday Monday service.

We then ate together and played some spades to finish off the day. Steve and I partnered up against Hanna and Krystal for a guys and against gals match, and...... Lets just say the guys won. If we were to leave and come home right now the whole trip would be worth it and satisfying. And this is just the third day in country. Praise be to the God of gods who has richly blessed this little missions trip.

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