The Communion of Saints

The saints evangelized about 10 miles away today.  Mukongoro is saturated with the gospel.  The towns we visited today were largely believers, but the great thing about today, was their willingness to work together as a community of churches.  The “communion of saints” we profess each time we say the Apostle’s Creed was seen tangibly in Pentecostal, Church of Uganda, and the Presbyterian Church working together to share the love of Christ.  Each home we went to that had believers we prayed for and encouraged.  They were so thankful.  Each home that came to Christ today we directed to other churches nearby to fellowship.  (When was the last time you invited someone to a neighboring church instead of your own?  Today it was natural.  Why?  We’re all THE body of Christ…not bodies of Christ)

One woman the team saw today was very sick.  She had delivered a stillborn child 3 months earlier, and was septic with internal injuries.  She couldn’t come to the clinic, so when we got back to the church we sent our “ambulances” to get her.  The clinic gave her some first aid and some initial antibiotics, but she is being sent to Soroti Hospital tomorrow.  She is being saved body and soul.  Were it not for the saints, both here and in the USA, this would not be possible.  Thank you.

Many of us played doctor today at the clinic.   More than 1,000 people were at the clinic today.  Surprisingly, order and patience prevailed.  Lots of healing.  Lots of ministry.  

Here's a video of yesterday's clinic (sorry so small!) 

At prisons, the saints delivering the gospel were encouraged by today’s prisons’ condition.  Working men, they were physically fit, had good food, and adequate clothes.  The saints witnessed a heavy-duty vehicle side-swipe the prison wall.  Like the prisoners in the book of Acts, they did not run away or try to escape.    Instead, they sang spiritual songs, danced and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.  By the time the saints left, there were 70 more saints.  

Four schools.  3,218 children.  Lots of Jesus. 

Today was a breakthrough day for me.  I spoke to a 17-year old girl with who was already a believer and, as usual, I asked how I could pray or encourage her.  She said she was sick (malaria), so we prayed together for God’s healing touch and gave thanks for the clinic being here so she could receive treatment.  After a brief silent moment, she began to cry and cover her face.  Information came slowly, reluctantly.  My grandmother just died, and I thought, “Awww.  She must have been very close to her.”  My dad just died.  “Whoa.  That must be it – her dad.”  My mom just died.  “Oh my God.  What pain!”  My husband just died.”  Silence.  We just looked at each other for a long time.  What do you say to that.  Enter the communion of saints.  I am convinced we will never appreciate the communion of saints as long as we consider it “seeing our friends at church.”  My experience of pain is nothing.  I’m not an orphan.  I’m not a single parent.  I’m not a widow.  I’m not poor. 

We prayed and prayed and prayed.  I can only write about it, because I haven’t been able to talk about it yet.  I took her picture (see photo above) so that I could pray for her each time I saw it.  I told her, “Rely on the church.  They are your new family now.  We take care of each other.”  

Here's a brief video with my translator from last year, Joseph Otieno.    It's why I keep coming on this trip.  All about relationships. 


Why I'm here (video) 

Need is the only condition for faith.  Your faith sustains you when you need a meal, need the crop to come in, need medicine, need money to live, need a shoulder to cry on, need someone to love you.  Trouble is, we in the States don’t think we need anything.  We have everything we need.  Perhaps that’s why our faith is so small.  

Here, I see joy in the midst of poverty.  In the U.S., I see depression amidst riches.  We say we don’t need anything, but the thing we need is need itself.  We need the Lord.  We need each other.  We just don’t know it.