I misunderstood about the place where I am staying here. I am staying at Pastor Leanley’s home, and it is not part of the Rehab Centre, but close by it. The Rehab Centre is run by the government, and was originally for the care of those with leprosy, but that was taken over by a German NGO, so now the centre cares for people with TB.
My first session at the conference was the morning session yesterday. I was a bit disappointed – I only had thirty minutes to speak, and my interpreter kept running off and preaching his own message in between mine. I had to stop in the middle and tell him quietly that if he is going to preach his own message then there is absolutely no point in my being there. After that he stuck with interpreting.
However, what disappointment I felt from the morning meeting was more than made up for in the evening. It was not a huge congregation – a couple of dozen plus heaps of kids. I ministered on Bruised Reeds and Smouldering Wicks (Isaiah 42) and took the full hour. When I gave the call for salvation, thirteen people came forward – and when I gave the second call for recommitment, another two came. What a way to start the month!
Today the car that they had booked to take us from the house to the church (around a kilometre) didn’t show up, and much as both Pastor Mac and Pastor Leanley tried they were not able to contact the guy. When he hadn’t arrived by 12 for the meeting that was supposed to start at 10, we gave up and said we would not do the morning meeting this morning. I am definitely becoming African – I wasn’t at all fazed by it.
Meanwhile, the power was out all day, and my computer was almost bereft of charge, so I sat under a tree with the pastors and chatted. It was great to hear their hearts, and to listen to their concern and challenges. Getting to know them like this is as much what this trip is about as is preaching in their churches and conferences. So even though I missed a session of ministry I felt it was a very productive morning.
There was still the question of getting to the meeting tonight. I said, “If he doesn’t show up I am happy to hop on the back of a motor bike.” The pastors had not been able to contact the guy by 6, so the bike was it. Getting on with my short, stiff, old legs was, to say the least, an interesting exercise, made even more interesting by a long skirt. But once I was on it was fine, and I really enjoyed the ride.
We had a massive storm last night, and I assume that was responsible for the masses of insects that were swarming around the light in the church building tonight. I’m sure I swallowed a couple in the course of my message, and Mac kept coming up and picking them off my back and out of my hair. The challenges were worth it, though – three people recommitted their lives to the Lord.