Saturday, July 19, 2014

July 19 - My last village crusade

Ministry Partners,

Today was the last village crusade of the 2014 IRM ministry trip. It's really hard to believe that I have been here for six weeks but the busy changing itinerary has made the time go so quickly. Working together with the Rwandan and Ugandan teams for the common purpose of sharing the Gospel creates a family that is hard for me to leave.

 The contrasts here are everywhere with 3,000,000 people the hustle and bustle of them just getting anywhere creates a chaotic and frantic atmosphere and yet getting the simplest task done takes so long. So many people working hard at their roadside shops and shops in town yet as we drive along you see so many people doing nothing.

We left the motel today to pick up Pastor Geoffrey on the way to the village. It's been very nice of him to take so much time to be with us. With no road signs it would be impossible to find our own way and ever find the right village church as you take one dirt trail to the right and then branch off to the left. Out in the villages there are roads or should I say "bunny trails" everywhere. Take the wrong one and you might have to wait for some time until a bicycle or motorbike taxi came by to give you directions.

In our culture/society you would not see such roadside venders with their wares spread out on the ground sometimes in one level layer and sometimes just heaps to sort through and then there are those who erect very tall :racks" to display the cloths they are selling, all right on the edge of the road.  It seem as if like vendors repeat in at least every block and so many with the same thing. And then there are the "butchers" stalls that display the hanging meat, beef, goat, fish in the open from morning until night without concern for the flying traffic dust and .....?????.
 Roadside village butchers.

With all of that, the people are amazing, generous and welcoming and when they smile, well when they smile..........I am so going to miss them.
 
Lots of  babies at the village crusade!

When we returned to the motel after the crusade there was a choir group practicing upstairs so I sat in the back to listen to them. It was great, they sang one in English the one in Lugandan. I left  before they were finished so I don't know what group they were but the English praise song were one we sing at Canby New Life.
Somehow at our crusade someone bent/broke the stick, by incorrectly removing it, of hours of Ugandan and Rwandan Christian music that I have been listening to in my room. I will have to have Mike at New Life see if there is anyway the music so I can play it at home. Someone here asked me how come I like the music when I cannot understand the words and I said their sing about Jesus and the love of God and the Holy Spirit within me knows whats being said.

(July 20 - morning) I am thankful that there is a second stick with about 7 Lugandan songs on it that I am now playing as I get ready for the church crusade this morning. The maid just stuck her head in my open door, she was dancing to the music and said, " I like, I like" and returned a few minutes later to point to heaven and then cross her arms across her chest as she said to me, "Song says Jesus you are all I need" before disappearing into the hall again. It's amazing to watch the staff here, outside in the courtyard and in the halls as the dance as they work to the music I also love. The people here and the christian music, WOW, what a combination.

I guess you can tell from this post that 1/2 of my heart is here and I am not looking forward to leaving.

Blessings and thanks for your continuing prayers as I return in two days.

Than none would be lost,

Arlene
for the team




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