Saturday, October 1, 2005

Africa Day ROCKS!!!!

What a morning!!  Today is Africa Day at Camp Meeting.  Daniel and Margaret came from Kumpalla, Uganda and Patrick came from Mityana, Uganda.  At their ministries, they reach the masses who want to know the Lord.  Each ministry has an orphanage with a combined total of over 1,000 children.  In addition, they have schools, a medical clinic, a farm and a community center.  They work tirelessly to serve the Lord.

And can they MOVE! They all started singing and dancing before we had a chance to get to our seats.  And it's not this pick up your hymnal and turn to page . . . they just rock.  Ministers who had travelled to Uganda shared their experiences there and praised the work going on.  Pastor Robert told of a tiny old lady who had tumors all over and came up for prayer.  Next night, she came in to the meeting to show off her healing.  She was moving and dancing as if she'd never been sick a day in her 90 years.  Pastor decided to humor her and dance a little too, but she hooked her spindly finger in his belt loop and took him for a turn!  Soon he was yelling, "Stop the music!  I can't take it anymore!"  The other pastors in attendance just laughed till they cried.  The tears were joy for the healing and the laughter was joy as well.  Wouldn't it be grand if we could feel that joy every moment of every day?

Then Patrick and Daniel gave messages of hope from Uganda.  The preachings were so encouraging to those of us who either can't go or are no longer in the field.  We were told we could "GO" on our knees, praying for those who have stepped out in faith.  We can "GO" with our money as it reaches out to strengthen those who are in the trenches, and we can "GO" on a missions trip.  We need to support our missionaries in faith.  They are doing the work of the Lord.  Did you know that the world spends nearly $4 billion dollars a year on bubble gum?  If we could tap 1% of that money for the Lord . . .WOW!

Tonight the pastors will step up to the plate again before the preaching.  They will ask us to dig deeply into our pockets and give an offering as big as we gave Thursday for the Philippines (they bought a FARM!) and for Mexico last night.  And those same 50 people will do as well or better tonight.  Isn't that a miracle?  50 people, more or less, ordinary at that, will dig into their need tonight to raise money to help others a world away.  What would happen if everyone we knew gave a dollar a week for a year to a specific mission?  Think they might be better equipped to pay their bills?  They're paying them on faith right now.  I know.  I've been there.

I am so tired that I'm punchy, but I'm ready to go back for more.  I'm ready to rock again for Uganda and to dig into my pocket to support and to come back to the hotel too late and too tired once again.  I am filled with the joy of the Lord!  Praise His Holy Name.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent entry and wow would I have loved to have been at these services.  I'm with you in spirit woman!!  Hugs,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Awesome!
~Miss O