Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..... he as given us new birth into a living hope... (1 Peter 1:3)
I returned to the Seeta congregation (St. Luke's) to preach the three morning services. Their schedule is 7:00 - 8:30, 8:30-10:30, and 10:30-12:30. That's right - no break for coffee between services! As one group leaves the main door, the next group of worshipers enters through side doors. Sunday school is during the 8:30-10:30 service. The 7:00 a.m. service is English and the others are in Luganda.Lauren has now heard my message on 1 Peter 1:3-9 at least 5 times! She could probably preach it. So, after the 7:00 a.m. English worship service, she grabbed a taxi with a new friend to take the short drive back to the guest house. Taxis in Uganda are 15 passenger mini-buses known for sudden stops and wild drivers. Thankfully, her drive was uneventful.
As with last Sunday, the church is nearly full each service and people are joyfully praising the Lord. Seeta church has a part of the service during the offering when people come to the alter area and pray prayers of praise as part of their offering, and a prayer time that lasts about 30 minutes.
The pastor also warmly welcomes guests, whom he asks to come to the front. He prays for them and gives them a big hug - not exactly seeker sensitive in the US, but in Uganda people love the attention.
As part of worship, the pastor asks the church to give a little extra for the church's next purchase to help their ministry. This church has limited infrastructure, no rest rooms, no kitchen, no fellowship area, and limited electricity (we start the 7:00 a.m. service with a generator because the city has turned off the power to save energy).
So, what does the pastor say the church is saving for? No, not a bathroom or a kitchen, but --- a computer, a projector, and a screen :-).
I also noticed what looked like green cloth pouches that resembled our mail boxes. When I asked what they were, I was told they were offering envelopes. Each pouch is numbered, parishoners put their gift in the sack, place the sack in the offering, and the gift is recorded. Then a church volunteer puts the sack back on the rack - a reusable offering envelope!
At around 1 p.m., the preach-a-thon is finished. I'm tired but full of joy. The faith of the people is absolutely a blessing. I am energized by their passion for the gospel, their love for Jesus, and their concern for the lost. And, if Trinity needs to add a third service, I'm prepared!
After worship and lunch, the time has come for good-byes to our Ugandan friends. The week of ministry is over, many people came forward at evangelistic services, and Words of Hope Uganda has been launched. It has been a great privilege to witness and participate in this great week.
Rev. David Bast heads back to the airport for the 10:30 p.m. flight to Amsterdam and Detroit. Lauren and I head to Kampala for a night in a hotel before heading out to the north for a few days on a safari.
We stay in view of Lake Victoria and spend an evening meal with CRC missionaries Jim and Josephine Zylstra (friends of Orange City resident, Rod DeBoer). They welcomed us in their home and we enjoyed a meal at an Italian restaurant - our first without beans and rice in more than a week. We learned about the work that CRWRC is doing in Uganda and how missionaries experience life in Uganda.
Lauren asks, "Can we call our Uganda friends. I miss them already."
