11-27-08
Back home it is Thanksgiving Day. This is the one day we set aside as Americans to give thanks because we are ungrateful the other 364 days of the year. The Burji people are so grateful, they are so thankful, yet they have “nothing”. They have community and they have Jesus. We get so wrapped up in ourselves and our pursuits that we have lost the sense of community that we once had as Americans. Perhaps this is why the church in America has lost the idea and meaning of Fellowship, we get so busy with ourselves. Here, the church has such great community and fellowship. It draws people to the Lord when they realize that the people in the church care for them.
Today, before our team set off into smaller groups we signed a lot of Bibles. We each put a note and signed our names. We are distributing over 1000 Bibles on this trip. They are going to people who have memorized 9 passages of Scripture. They total 93 verses! I went with the Village Team to Mure Village. What a reception! Many leaders said it was a small welcome. It didn’t seem small to me!
These precious believers were waiting all morning for our arrival. They greeted us with singing and dancing. One young man, Abraham, led the kids in singing songs of praise to the Lord. I talked with him for a few minutes. He is 11 years old and in the 7th grade. His English was pretty good. I told him that next time we come, he needed to have all the verses memorized in order to receive a Bible. He promised me that he would. I had the privilege to distribute a few dozen Bibles in the village today. More will go out tomorrow in this village.
Back in Soyama our English class went well. The students know English well and we had a class in English Grammar and used verses from the New Testament to teach Grammar. I met a young man named Joseph. He is 19 years old. Joseph had been kicked out of his family because he was a believer. His father was an Imam in the Muslim Mosque. 3 weeks ago his father received Christ! They had a wonderful reunion. Joseph was very excited to share that story with me.
We got word back this evening that things are going well among the Gujis. Our team of David, Jason and James (translator) left this morning as Demisse drove them. The Gujis were waiting for them with excitement. They had gotten word that some Ferengi’s were coming to share with them about Jesus. They were disappointed because they wanted to meet all 12 of the Ferengis, not just 2 of us. The team was having trouble with the projector and couldn’t show the Jesus Film. Dr. Black just preached instead. Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” We must pray for the Gujis
I am sitting here in my room tonight listening to songs on my ipod. I am alone in this room. I am enjoying some peanuts and M&M’s. I have a warm Pepsi to drink. It is a good Thanksgiving! I cannot believe where God has brought me. I know that many people are praying for me back home. I can sense power – spiritual power in amazing ways. It is about 10 PM and I can hear the men of the Soyama church praying together. They have been praying for a couple of hours. I imagine they’l be done soon so they can make it to their nect prayer meeting at 5 AM!
A Pastor's Thoughts 