June 23, 2013 10:10pm
I am tired but surprisingly I'm less exhausted than I was 4 hours ago. Today was like 3-4 days all wrapped up in one.
I went to Jinja Christian Center this morning, and it was an amazing experience. Before last night, I hadn't known which church I'd prefer to go to -- the Cathedral or a more charismatic church, but as soon as Brenda asked last night, I had an immediate knowledge that I wanted to go to JCC. I'm so glad I went.
The praise and worship time was spectacular. The first song was in Lunganda, but there was a repetitive "Hallelujah" that I could join in on , and I enjoyed participating with their praise by clapping with them to God as they sang. Their next song was "Worthy is the Lamb." I was so excited to know the song and to be able to sing with them this time. It took me to such a deep place or worship and praise -- the words of the song itself, singing with those people, and being in the presence of the Lamb in His throneroom. As I sang, the words of "Jesus loves the little children" came to mind, specifically "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight." I was so profoundly blessed to be worshipping with more of His "children of the world." There's going to be an awesome praise party in heaven!!
The only sad part of the service was when some prosperity gospel creeped in around tithe and offering time. The pastor kept talking about God bestowing wealth on His people. The focus was totally on the "wealth" part in my perspective. I think the word "wealth" was in every sentence he said for at least 2 minutes solid. I hope and pray that this false focus, idol, and lie does not poison this church. Everything else was such a joy.
Before we left, they started into their next service, so I got to praise with them through several more songs. We left right before they got to another song I knew, but it was so great to clap and dance with them. I saw some grapevine-esque moves and cha-cha rhythms on stage, even a Comet-O type of hand motion and step. I had quite the time joining in the dance moves too.
After some time back at Hesed for lunch and rest and fellowship, we went to the source of the Nile! We boarded a boat with a tour guide who pointed out key areas and sights. We saw lizards, monkeys, and a ton of birds -- snake neck birds in the water, white egrets, pelicans, and some bird that poos out white so much that an entire island (complete with all its vegetation) was "painted white." As we continued our tour, the water in both the Nile and Lake Victoria sprayed up into me, and I was so amazed by the experience that I was having. I was in the Nile and feeling water from the Nile river!
After our short Nile cruise, we drove to Serving His Children. What a complete 180! Serving His Children is in the middle of the Masese slum. I hadn't seen a true African slum yet. This was everything I've heard about -- tiny shacks crammed together with narrow walkways between, trash and filth strewn about, creeks of sewage trickling out to a trench, and children with nothing to wear but 1 tattered and filthy shirt. Renee's SHC is a gated compound right in the middle of that, and she does such amazing work there. Her ministry is beautiful-- breaking the malnutrition cycle by taking in a caregiver and her malnourished child in for about 1 month, nursing the child back to health, teaching the caregivers about nutrition, discipling the caregivers through Bible study, and executing follow-up checks in the community that both checks on the family's continued nutrition as well as gives the caregiver an opportunity to give back to her own community through a community nutrition lesson.
On the drive home, we found out that Masese was "on strike." They were really violently protesting witch doctors by burning down their homes and killing them in response to a recent increase in child sacrifices. How real such wickedness is here. It's not just something you hear about. It's hard for me to wrap my head around it even now. As Jim said at debriefing tonight, sadly places like this will exist until Jesus returns. I join with believers across the centuries and cry out "Come quickly, Lord Jesus! We need You!" (I am also so grateful that He has not left us without a Counselor.)
I was beat when we got back to Hesed. I rested for a good stretch of time before dinner began. I was in tears from exhaustion by the time dinner was ready. I wiped my tears and went anyways. I knew I needed to go. The food was good, and the fellowship was even better. I, no we, needed to laugh tonight, and laugh we did! As we closed the evening with a team meeting, Bekah's devotional tonight was a word for each of us individually of what trait she'd seen God place in our lives and demonstrate so far on the trip. Her word for me was wisdom. I remembered later how desperately as a child I wanted to be that tree in Psalm 1, and I am grateful that God gives such good gifts as to develop me more like that tree as I grow and rest in Him. He is the true Source of wisdom.
After her word to each of us, we each gave her a word. Jim finished up by pointing back to Old Testament blessings. We'd already done 1/3 of a blessing by telling her good words we saw in her character and life. The other 2 parts were physical touch and speaking a positive future into her life, so we all laid hands on her and prayed for her family's future in Uganda. It was a perfect way to send her off, and a perfect way to end the day.
I am tired but surprisingly I'm less exhausted than I was 4 hours ago. Today was like 3-4 days all wrapped up in one.
I went to Jinja Christian Center this morning, and it was an amazing experience. Before last night, I hadn't known which church I'd prefer to go to -- the Cathedral or a more charismatic church, but as soon as Brenda asked last night, I had an immediate knowledge that I wanted to go to JCC. I'm so glad I went.
The praise and worship time was spectacular. The first song was in Lunganda, but there was a repetitive "Hallelujah" that I could join in on , and I enjoyed participating with their praise by clapping with them to God as they sang. Their next song was "Worthy is the Lamb." I was so excited to know the song and to be able to sing with them this time. It took me to such a deep place or worship and praise -- the words of the song itself, singing with those people, and being in the presence of the Lamb in His throneroom. As I sang, the words of "Jesus loves the little children" came to mind, specifically "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight." I was so profoundly blessed to be worshipping with more of His "children of the world." There's going to be an awesome praise party in heaven!!
The only sad part of the service was when some prosperity gospel creeped in around tithe and offering time. The pastor kept talking about God bestowing wealth on His people. The focus was totally on the "wealth" part in my perspective. I think the word "wealth" was in every sentence he said for at least 2 minutes solid. I hope and pray that this false focus, idol, and lie does not poison this church. Everything else was such a joy.
Before we left, they started into their next service, so I got to praise with them through several more songs. We left right before they got to another song I knew, but it was so great to clap and dance with them. I saw some grapevine-esque moves and cha-cha rhythms on stage, even a Comet-O type of hand motion and step. I had quite the time joining in the dance moves too.
After some time back at Hesed for lunch and rest and fellowship, we went to the source of the Nile! We boarded a boat with a tour guide who pointed out key areas and sights. We saw lizards, monkeys, and a ton of birds -- snake neck birds in the water, white egrets, pelicans, and some bird that poos out white so much that an entire island (complete with all its vegetation) was "painted white." As we continued our tour, the water in both the Nile and Lake Victoria sprayed up into me, and I was so amazed by the experience that I was having. I was in the Nile and feeling water from the Nile river!
After our short Nile cruise, we drove to Serving His Children. What a complete 180! Serving His Children is in the middle of the Masese slum. I hadn't seen a true African slum yet. This was everything I've heard about -- tiny shacks crammed together with narrow walkways between, trash and filth strewn about, creeks of sewage trickling out to a trench, and children with nothing to wear but 1 tattered and filthy shirt. Renee's SHC is a gated compound right in the middle of that, and she does such amazing work there. Her ministry is beautiful-- breaking the malnutrition cycle by taking in a caregiver and her malnourished child in for about 1 month, nursing the child back to health, teaching the caregivers about nutrition, discipling the caregivers through Bible study, and executing follow-up checks in the community that both checks on the family's continued nutrition as well as gives the caregiver an opportunity to give back to her own community through a community nutrition lesson.
On the drive home, we found out that Masese was "on strike." They were really violently protesting witch doctors by burning down their homes and killing them in response to a recent increase in child sacrifices. How real such wickedness is here. It's not just something you hear about. It's hard for me to wrap my head around it even now. As Jim said at debriefing tonight, sadly places like this will exist until Jesus returns. I join with believers across the centuries and cry out "Come quickly, Lord Jesus! We need You!" (I am also so grateful that He has not left us without a Counselor.)
I was beat when we got back to Hesed. I rested for a good stretch of time before dinner began. I was in tears from exhaustion by the time dinner was ready. I wiped my tears and went anyways. I knew I needed to go. The food was good, and the fellowship was even better. I, no we, needed to laugh tonight, and laugh we did! As we closed the evening with a team meeting, Bekah's devotional tonight was a word for each of us individually of what trait she'd seen God place in our lives and demonstrate so far on the trip. Her word for me was wisdom. I remembered later how desperately as a child I wanted to be that tree in Psalm 1, and I am grateful that God gives such good gifts as to develop me more like that tree as I grow and rest in Him. He is the true Source of wisdom.
After her word to each of us, we each gave her a word. Jim finished up by pointing back to Old Testament blessings. We'd already done 1/3 of a blessing by telling her good words we saw in her character and life. The other 2 parts were physical touch and speaking a positive future into her life, so we all laid hands on her and prayed for her family's future in Uganda. It was a perfect way to send her off, and a perfect way to end the day.
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