Surprises!

Today was a day of surprises, to be sure. 

First, we were surprised by some of our team members getting sick so early.  Many accidentally ingested some butter that was in contact with tap water.  We have at least 3 that are sick, and a few hoping they don’t get sick.  Imodium, water, and Tylenol have helped, but nothing will help as much as the prayers of the saints. 

Secondly, we were surprised by how many people in the village of Mukongoro spoke or understood English (even Oklahoman/Texan!)

Thirdly, we were surprised at the work of the enemy before our arrival.  The reputation of the Presbyterian Church in Uganda has put fear in several of the “false religions” in the area.  Before our arrival several men went to the areas we traveled telling the people that we “pay people to go to the Presbyterian Church.”  (if only it were that easy!)  We think we met the man who started these rumors.  The devil is at work, but the contrast of the truth against the lie only serves to enhance the message.  We explain that we don’t give money…we give something much better:  the grace of Jesus Christ. 

Many in the area are believers in the Lord Jesus already, yet they wanted us to tell them the gospel message again.  They are hungry for encouragement and affirmation.  Many were taking notes and/or looking up verses in their own Bibles to confirm what we were saying.  Want to know the gist of what we say?  Go to this link.

Our translators have so much evangelism experience, and are very well trained.  They really complement our testimonies, they are our guides, protectors, and the presence of Jesus walking alongside us. 

The PUBLIC SCHOOL ministry was very successful today.  Susan and Dan were greeted by 1150 children from grades 1-7 and this was a school holiday!  The kids came to school on their day off just to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ!  Even the principal danced and praised the Lord in the midst of the children (see photo). 

The PRISON ministry was a humbling experience for Henry and Sharon.  For 3 hours they spent time with the prisoners and they all sang songs of joy and praise.  76 men and 1 woman were given gifts of staple items and a heavy dose of God’s grace.  Sharon ministered one-on-one with the woman who was in prison awaiting trial for adultery.  She learned of God’s forgiveness and it made all the difference in her life today. 

The best phrase I heard today was “hundreds of people were rescued today.”  It’s true, and so much more descriptive than the overused “saved.”  People were rescued from despair, hopelessness, ignorance, death and sin.  We’re NOT in this for the numbers, but we easily reached 600 adults on the trail, hundreds more at the crusade, 250 kids at the VBS program, and more than 1100 public school children. 

We wrote the name down of each person who trusted Jesus Christ today for the first time, so that the pastor could follow up with them after we leave him in charge of the congregation.   The total came to 436.  I cry just thinking about how the angels in heaven are rejoicing today.  It’s what John Becker preached on at the crusade.  It was evident in Dustin and Linda’s testimonies.  It was written on each face.   Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

Let Us Worship the Lord

Worship permeates our whole experience, here.  Today was different for most people on the trip.  There were no complaints about the lack of air conditioning, no talk of capital campaigns, no whining about the music, or how long the preacher preached.   Here is what the team said tonight at debrief:

“I wish the folks back home could experience this worship.  The whole church worships here…body and soul.   No one is here to be entertained.  The community prayer (everyone prays out loud at one time) was like a hum…like a musical instrument.  God must be lovin’ this.  Literally music to his ears.”  We must have talked for 40 minutes after dinner about the purity and sincerity of their worship.

The preachers and the teachers did an amazing job today at all eleven churches.  What impressed us most is how well they know the Scriptures and how personal and candid the questions we received.  Below are just some of the questions we received today. 

“Can you explain to me the unforgivable sin:  blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?”

From a young boy: “My father sends me to fetch his mistress when my mother is away.  How can I honor my father when he uses me to commit adultery?”

“Is it still a sin if you were married and committed adultery because your husband is beating you?”

“Can you explain the difference between killing and murder as it relates to the sixth commandment?”

“The witch doctor said if I trusted Jesus Christ and burned my idols, then my children would die by the hands of demons.  Is this true?”

“What is the Presbyterian’s view on baptism? (asked of a Baptist!)

Overall, we experienced great joy in the midst of great pain and suffering.  Typhoid, malaria, persecutions abound, yet the churches are proclaiming the Word and worshiping with all they have.  An example for us all. 

Don’t be shy-drop us a line.  We read all the comments at dinner.  The feeling knowing that we are making an impact at home is priceless.

Home Sweet Home-Away-From-Home

After a 3 hour trip to the Nile River's headwaters, we stopped in the town of Jinja to eat at Ling-Ling's Chinese restaurant. (It may seem odd that we'd have Chinese in Africa, but if you think about it, we're a lot closer to China than the States!)  What was funny was seeing Americans eat at a Chinese restaurant in Africa while listening to "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" on the restaurant's radio.   For a brief meal, we were global!

Back in the vans for 2 more hours to our home base, the Mount Elgon Hotel.  Some R&R, an evening meal and then our first team meeting.

Our devotional tonight was on receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1 & 2).  Leo reminded the group with this commission: "No matter what you were before coming here, now you are evangelists, pastors, teachers, apostles.  You have all the responsibilities and privileges that the apostles of the Scriptures have.  You're different now.  If you are asked to heal, heal.  If asked to preach, then preach.  If you're called upon to exorcise demons, exorcise.  You are God's chosen to speak His Word. "

Laying hands on each other we prayed.  He's right.  We are different.

Tomorrow we visit 11 different churches to teach Sunday School and preach.  Pray for us!  Some of us are doing this for the first time! 

All present and accounted for!

We arrived at Entebbe, Uganda with all our luggage and finally have a complete team. Carl Bosteels and our gracious hosts were waiting for us. Now it's off to dinner and bed at a local hotel. We are praising God for His grace and your support.

2 Legs Complete

After our miracle ride to Minneapolis (Thank you, Jesus!), the extended layover allowed some to chill, and others to take a train to the Mall of America.  Simply amazing....and everything antithetical to this trip.  We're not going on vacation, or being entertained, or purchasing anything.  Instead this is all about preaching good news to the poor, and giving away everything we are, know and have. 

The second leg was uneventful...and quick!  Made it to Amsterdam in record time, thanks to a 100 mph tailwind.  We said a prayer of thanksgiving, and will be en route to Uganda in a few hours.   Be prepared for a long silence, as we may not have internet access until we get to Mbale on Saturday night.   Thanks for the comments!  I'll be sharing them with the team everyday.

God Met Us At The Airport

22 of us showed up to the airport this morning at 5AM (yawn) and started
checking in. At 5:30, Sid and Linda realized they left a bag at home. The
flight was scheduled for a 6AM departure. Lynn Lee (God's angel!) drove
back to Edmond to at least try to retrieve the bag and get back to the
airport before we left.

Linda and I went through security (25 minute line) and Sid waited in the
airport lobby waiting for Lynn to return. I was getting concerned that Sid
would miss the flight and so with NO minutes to spare, Sid got in the
security line. As the final boarding call was being made, I casually said
to Linda, "We need a miracle." Of course, I was referring to Sid getting on
the plane! God had something different in mind.

Sid finally got through security and was sitting on the plane. Turns out,
the plane was overloaded and it took the ground crew just long enough to
sort things out to enable Lynn to get to the airport. David gets a call
from Lynn saying, "I'm here! Where are you?" Sid gets permission to get
OFF the plane, go thru security again to pick up the bag and get back on the
plane. I have NEVER seen a plane held in this way before. All the
passengers were talking about it (some not so nice about it). When they
found out about the evangelism trip, the whole attitude onboard changed.
Not only did God show up, gave us grace (and gave Lynn speed!), but also set
up an opportunity to share Jesus from the get-go.

The Journey Begins...

For Carl Bosteels, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of OKC, the journey
began yesterday. He left a day early to Uganda and should almost be there
by now. He's very brave and full of faith! Of course, God's got his back.
The rest of us left this morning. Thank you for praying with us and joining
us on this journey. Here's a list of your missionaries.

John Becker (FPC OKC)
Henry Boecking (FPC Edmond)
Sharon Boecking (FPC Edmond)
Carl Bosteels (FPC OKC)
Linda Brown (FPC Edmond)
Sid Brown (FPC Edmond)
Dustin Cornell (Westminster OKC)
Steve Costello (FPC Edmond)
Rhonda Hefton (Westminster OKC)
Ali Justus (Westminster OKC)
Susan Kinney (FPC Edmond)
Steve Kinney (FPC Edmond)
Judy Langdon (FPC Edmond)
Tom Langdon (FPC Edmond)
David Lee (FPC Edmond)
Matt Mitchell (Westminster Lubbock)
Chad Montgomery (Westminster Lubbock)
Ferrelyn Oakes (Westminster OKC)
Dan Orza (FPC OKC)
Treb Praytor (Westminster OKC)
Jayne Underwood (FPC Edmond)
Leo Wideman (FPC Edmond)
Randy Willis (FBC Hondo, TX)

As I write this, I'm having a great conversation with "Paula" on the flight
to Minneapolis. She's a woman with a great heart, and a sacrificing spirit.
We are talking about whether good works are sufficient for salvation. I
explained that if we are saved by good works, then Jesus died for nothing.
<<Long pause>> "Now, I'm going to have to think about that."
Thank you, Paula. We all need to think about that. It's all because of
Jesus that we are saved, praise the Lord! Our work is merely a response to
His grace. Live into your calling as a child of God.