getting settled and ready for a visit

We have arrived safely at our place of abode for the next five nights!  The ride was in a nice mini coach -bus with air conditioning and the driver did a great job of avoiding the many potholes and other dangers on the road.  The road was surprisingly not busy, actually - not much traffic, for the most part.  We had Pizza-Hut Pizza pockets and bottled water and/or coke (and apples and little candies) in our to-go lunches.  The Pizza pockets were great!

We set up our room (maybe 30' x 15', or so) with all our stuff.  There are bunk beds for all - with mattresses! There are fans going too, to keep it comfortable.

We are now gathered around in the kitchen (an open area in the centre of the home) and our translator, who just arrived, is translating for our hosts who are introducing themselves now.  A very sad story about loss of some dear friends has just been related to us, and we are learning a bit about how they became established here, along with 4 churches that they started.  They originally did not have a good welcome here because of their faith in Christ. After 3 months of being here,  sent by the church, with no friends, in difficult conditions, his wife wanted to return home.   They are still here!  We are learning a bit about their grown children, and how they assist as well.  We are learning about some of their ministries, including guitar classes, crafts, and celebrating birthdays for about 100 children, and a women's group with about 80 to 100 women, and a meeting every Saturday for Men with testimonials, praying, and sharing together and having coffee and a talk for families.  Also a program for men and women ages 40-50 or so and they fix lunch for them and have bible classes with them.  They have a football/soccer program.  They teach about Jesus and about soccer.

With the help from Canada, they have experienced greater openness to the gospel here from the locals.  Because of our efforts, people have a different concept of evangelical Christians now.  A lady a while ago asked if they are the kind of Christians who like to fight or what are they?  We can share our testimonies with people or pray with people if we feel led to do so by the Lord.  The reason the Lord has brought us all here is to share the Love of Christ.  People see and respond to the love that we bring.

When the farming project was started, they asked for help from men from the Community and some help twice a week in exchange for a good lunch that is prepared for them.  Tough men have seen the love of Christ through us.  They would like to be like "real evangelicals".  We need to resemble Christ to them.

We are about to decide if we are going to go visit a worksite now - and it is lightly raining now, and darkness seems to be falling soon.  It is currently 4:30 and dinner will be at 6:00 PM.

Our pickup truck / cattle truck has just arrived to pick us up.  We do need to go to the grocery store (a couple blocks from here) but we want to meet families before we show up tomorrow, if possible.  The local shops, we have been advised, should not be trusted to sell us clean water (even if bottled), and we need to get some, and maybe some Gatorade.

We will go to the worksite and then the grocery store.  We will then go for diner at 7:00pm.  We can munch on our snacks in the meantime....and now we are ready to go! :)


Matt