In The Field

 

 

April 1 & 2, 2013 (Monday & Tuesday) Our weekly classes in the slums of Mitume and Shimo continue and we are seeing growth in those that are attending.  They continue to sacrifice their time and set their daily chores aside to sit and learn the Word of God.

 

April 3, 2013 (Wednesday) Today we walked the rolling hills of the village of Taito It was a day set aside for door to door visitation.  The mud huts sit nestled in the midst of the banana trees and the rich green growth that the rains bring.  It is the season for planting and many are working their gardens.

First we stop at the church to deliver thirty baby chairs that will be stored until our new day school opens in May. There was excitement in the air when some of the mama’s saw evidence that a dream of theirs was really coming true.

 

 

Our first stop is right next door to the church.  Fetus an elder in the community is healthy and strong and he remembers the days he helped us build the church.  His wife was busy feeding the chickens but stopped to greet me with, “You’ve been gone long!”

 

We visit Aaron a young man that put in many hours helping us build the church.  His beautiful wife and 2 boys joined us as well.  Little baby Jacob has never seen a white woman before but as I hold him in my arms there isn’t any evidence of fear.

As we walked the small country dirt road traveled mostly by donkey carts and a motorbike now and then the tall slender eucalyptus trees cooled the air around us.  We stopped at a small house made from the mud of the earth to pray for Sylvia. We were quickly invited inside and wooden stools were put in place for us to sit on. Her husband who suffers with a past leg injury hobbled to his stool and sat with us.

 

Soon we are asked outside to pray for his wife. All eyes are on Sylvia. She is sleeping on the ground under a tree near the house. Her x-rays are neatly folded and she hides them close to her.  She was diagnosed with stomach cancer last October.  She is thin but her stomach is bloated and her eyes have yellowed.  I tell her how I’ve seen God’s power in my life and what He has done for me before we pray.  Her two grown children quietly listen and look on with compassion in their eyes. 

Sylvia’s husband had never asked Jesus in his heart. Today, as I hold his hands, he bows his head and says the sinners pray.

Helen suffers from asthma and last night she called her children for help.  She thought she was dying and would never see the sun rise.  We shared about God’s goodness before we prayed for her healing. As we walked away we hear a voice of praise and gratitude to God saying “I’m healed, I’m healed.”

 

We walked for some distance and the sky was darkening with rain clouds but there was so much more to do so we continued on.  A grandma needs encouragement and prayer. Her body is weak and her joints are in pain. Her little grandson cautiously peers at me from the outside and her granddaughter who faces many challenges falls to her knees for prayer.

We walked down through the valley and we followed the narrow path up the other side.  On the edge of a knoll sits a home.  The family is outside and their bright colored clothes speak out boldly against the dark blue sky.  The little guy is preparing for his bath and never showed a bit of shame only happiness to have a visitor.

The need for encouragement here is great not just in this home but many. We hear the warning of the first rain drops and say our goodbyes.  The umbrellas are ready and the pace of our walk increases.

As we traveled past some of the homes we wave and greet those that are outside. One man wasn’t happy with just a greeting and he ran after us.  He wanted us to visit inside his home.  We explained the need for us to continue walking as we were far from the church.  We didn’t leave though until we prayed a blessing upon him and shared the gospel.  This man accepted the Lord in the middle of a field with rain drops falling on his head and kids jeering off to the side.  It was an unexpected stop of the day but certainly a God planned visit.

It was a good day.  We had walked through  the fields, cow pastures, valleys, hilltops, crawled under and over barbwire fences and now we called it a day and headed back.  While walking through an open area of tall grass I heard the grass move in front of me. I froze in place and I think my heart stopped for a brief second.  Whatever it was I thank God that it moved away from me quickly.

The sky opened up and the rains came down just as we stepped inside of Mama Rhoda’s house.  We thank God for all that He has done while we rested in the quietness of her home.  Gladys heard that we were in the area and she found us at Mama Rhoda’s.  I am amazed at how beautiful she is now.  She was near death last year when we visited and prayed for her.  A visit to the hospital proved her to be HIV positive.  Now her face radiates and her smile says it all. She is healthy, strong and has put weight back on.  She expressed how thankful she was over and over again.  Seeing how God had restored life to her put added sweetness to the end of our day. Our God is great!

When the rain had stopped we started walking toward the main road in order to catch a ride.  We thought our day was over but Ebseba, a very devote Christian woman, heard we were close by.  She insisted that we visit her before we leave for the day.  Ebseba’s son was troubled to the point he could not work but last year we prayed for him and God delivered him.  This young man left his sick bed of torment and helped us build the church in Taito.

Our God has unlimited power and he deserves unlimited praise!

Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.