When the Africans were setting up the stuff for the film, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about whether their equipment was actually going to work. But they all proved me wrong. That sheet thrown over those two metal poles actually worked well for a movie screen.
Everyone was very receptive to the film. This was the first movie that most have them had ever seen or probably will see. They did an altar call during the crucifixion potion of the film. I couldn't even count the number of people who were raising their hands to accept Jesus.
The Jesus Film guys then split everyone up into groups of men, women, and children for counseling. They wanted the Americans to lead the counseling sessions, but they forgot to tell us what to do, so we will do that on other nights.
This film is just another way that God is moving in this place.
The "cho's" they built for us are the best I have seen so far. It has a legitimate toilet seat which is so refreshing. I am so thrilled to see all the things we will get to do today. It's a beutiful Sunday morning and this is the day that the Lord has made.
I love Chibotti bread. It's amazing. It's like a fun piece of fried dough that is a little sweet. Lazaro, our African cook, is the best.
This morning we walked around our grounds and prayed over them. It was an almost physical power that you could feel wash over the area. There is such peace in this place.
As we walked by the evangelism room, the harmonies that were coming out of the room were amazing. They were all singing "How Great Thou Art" in Swahili. The blend of their voices was probably some of the best music I have ever heard.
Then we sang Power In the Blood. Musa taught us the words in Swahili. It was great to join in with the Africans like that.
Then we got to actually meet all of the Africans for the first time. These were the people who would be the barriers between language differences throughout our entire trip. They were a vital part of the ministry and interacting with them was life-changing to say the least.
It took over an hour to get everything medical set up that morning. We were missing some medical materials and we got to a late start, but everything came together. The children showed up right after our singing though and we got to interact with them right away.
the kids here are amazing. Always smiling, and I would have to say that they are the most well behaved children I have ever seen. A lt of them are very timid when it comes to getting close to us. This village is so far out there that they have never seen people who look like us or speak a different language like ours. I'm praying that they'll be a little more affectionate as we progress. I really just want to hug them all and never let go.
Play time is crucial. We played in a group for an hour today, which is a lot harder than it sounds because of the language barrier. After play time, Mama Anita told the story of Blind Barnabas.
During that story time, I snuck out of the room to explore a little.
I ran into Moses, an African, who thought it would be fun to introduce me to some of the local women. They all found it absolutely fascinating that I was trying to speak their language.
At this point, I have so many things going through my mind. It's hard to process sometimes, it's overwhelming. I really have never understood what it is like to have nothing and to grasp the amount of luxuries that I really have. Even living in a tent, I have more than these people. Around 80% of this village is Muslim, and most of that 80% don't even know what it means to be Muslim.
The sunsets are prettier here. The moon seems brighter. Things are just so calm. No worries about material things. No worries about what people are thinking. Everything and everyone is geared strictly on helping, serving, and loving these people and this land.