Witch-doctor No More!

I have a really exciting testimony to share with you!!

On outreach for Zion Project last week, the ladies wanted to visit a Congolese girl who accidentally burned down a hut in their district of Gulu called Kasubi. She put some charcoal in a trash heap, which caught fire, spread rapidly across an entire field next to it and then over a fence to a hut on the other side. The hut just happened to belong to a witch-doctor, who had yelled at one of our women the morning before we went there.

When we arrived, the little girl was fine, but I felt led to go over and talk with the witch-doctor to tell her sorry that her hut burned down. None of the women wanted to go with me because they were scared of her except one named Flora (who was the only one there who could translate into Luo anyway). So Flora and I ventured over to the hut, and we were welcomed very warmly with smiles and chairs to sit on. When Monica (the witch-doctor) came, her and her friend Lucy sat on a mat and listened to me share about how God's heart breaks for their situation. They lost literally everything except the clothes on their backs, and she has four children in school who lost all their books. They were sleeping outside on the ground:(

When I asked if I could pray for them, they said yes, so I knelt down on their mat, layed hands on them and prayed for God to provide for all their needs and to reveal His love to them. When I finished praying, I asked them if they know Jesus. Monica said she's not saved but her children are. I asked her if she wanted to be saved, and she said yes! So I shared the gospel message with them. Lucy didn't seem to be interested at first, but after I finished sharing, she said "I'm tired of all these bad things happening to me., I want to be saved!" Then I asked if anyone else around wanted to be saved, so they called all their children to come sit with them on the mat! Some of the children were rededicating their lives to Jesus because they had backslidden and some were for the first time. There were 8 people in all that prayed a prayer of salvation with me, a whole family was brought into the kingdom at the same time! Glory to God!
Then I did a basic crash discipleship teaching on the importance of going to church, reading your Bible and praying everyday. Monica was very interested, asking me where they should go to church and how she could get a Bible in Luo so she could start reading it. Monica's son, Simon, was there with us, and he's been a believer for 10 years, he said. He shared a scripture from his English Bible from Isaiah 30 about how God has turned their mourning into dancing and their sorrow into joy. What a perfect scripture for this time!

I am amazed at how God set this up for Monica (and all of them) to be saved. One of her kids was already walking with the Lord (probably praying for her salvation), and God allowed her to lose everything so that she would turn to Him. Pray that they all continue walking in the light, growing closer to Jesus every day and that they don't fall back into their old ways.

BWANA ASIFIWE!! (Praise God!)

Bar Alimo

Sorry for the delay everyone! Things got busy, but now I'm ready to share all about my day trip to the village:)

Sarah and I went with Richard (our friend and guard at ZP) on bodas to his village to meet his family and see what life is like there. It was a bumpy hour and a half there on the bodas. We even had the bodas cross a sketchy bridge without us on them because it didn't look safe. Pictured left is Richard crossing the bridge. After a harrowing ride, we finally arrived at a clearing that had a few huts his family owns and lives in. The "village" was different than I thought it would be because I envisioned it being a bunch of huts all close together like in the IDP camps. But it was nice and quiet, so that was good:)

As we met some of Richard's brothers and sisters (he has 9 total), we were promptly given a bottle of soda (That would be our first of three during the day. We were swimming in Mountain Dew up to our eyeballs by 4:00pm Wonderful hospitality). Then Richard took us to see his bee-hive pots that he made. (Sarah and I posing for the camera in front of one hehe) He also took us on an educational tour of all the various types of food that his family grows on their land. Some of it just looked like a tangle of weeds and sticks to me, but if they can grow food from it, more power to em! Check out this field for growing cassava (a very popular root eaten here).

After our extensive walking tour in the hot sun, we decided to rest. Richard's brothers were busy slaughtering a goat for us (which is a huge honor). I know you want to see the picture of that, so here it is! And for breakfast they served us goat liver (which looked and even tasted like steak tips with more flavor Yum!) They left us alone to eat because we were the guests of honor.


We also used this machine to shuck g-nuts (kinda like our peanuts). You put all the nuts inside, and then pull the handle back and forth, so it separates the nuts from the shells and collects them in a basket underneath. Pretty cool!

After some time of thanking all the family members that had gathered round and sharing as best we could (Richard translated into Luo for us), it was time for lunch! This time, we made everyone eat with us:) Let me tell you... it was a FEAST! We had goat of course and potatoes, cassava, three different types of cooked greens, sim sim paste, millet and sorgum (both types of "bread" that feel like play-doh in your hands). Here's the visual:

After lunch we retired to one of the huts for more soda and fellowship time. I knew that if God wanted to do something, this would be the time. So as I was silently praying, I saw that one of Richard's sisters had on a necklace with the colors of Africa (black, red, yellow, green) which also happen to be the colors to explain the gospel. So I was able to share the entire gospel message, and everyone listened. All but three of Richard's family members are yet-to-be-saved, but God is working on them:) No one gave their life to Jesus on this day, but they said they would soon. They first want to participate in the traditional funeral rites of their deceased father. Please pray for them to come to know Jesus and for the plans of the enemy to be cancelled in their lives, especially at this funeral rite (March 19th), which involves witchcraft. God gave Sarah a scripture to speak truth to the lie that they can wait to come to Jesus until later (about letting the dead bury their own dead). It was powerful!

One of Richard's brothers' wives is saved, and we were able to lay hands on her and pray for healing for her stomach ulcers. Praise Jesus! We believe it is finished!

All in all it was a great day. We are planning on returning (at which time one of the sisters is planning to show us a traditional dance with her dance troup). Thanks for coming with me to Bar Alimo.

Totowonana (until next time!)

SOON TO COME!

Pics and stories of my first village experience since I came in Oct 2010... You won't want to miss it so check back soon:)

A THANKFUL HEART

God has been reminding me lately that the cure for a bad attitude in ministry is making the choice to be thankful.... SO I thought I'd share a few praises of what God has been up to here in Gulu, and hopefully when I see them all in one place it will encourage me (and you too)!


* I prayed for the sister of one of my boda driver friends named Anna. She had her intestines removed due to wounds inside her stomach and had a colostomy bag (the opening for the bag looked painful). We both felt a lot of heat when I prayed, and I left believing she was healed. A little while later, my boda friend told me that God healed her wounds so they could put her intestines back in! The surgery went well, and she is recovering nicely:)


* A couple weeks ago two ZP visitors from the States preached the gospel message at the army barracks prison in Gulu. There were 32 men who attended and 30 of those got saved that day! The next day 15 of them were released from prison, and later that week several more were released. So virtually all those who were set free spiritually were also set free physically. The visitors saw them on the street giving praise to God for their freedom WOW


* A couple months ago, a short-termer named Matt was able to lead an ex-LRA member to the Lord in our neighborhood. Alexander (pictured right), then came to Gulu Bible Community Church (GBCC) to testify that God saved him, set him free from fear of walking in the light, and even brought forgiveness and reconciliation between him and a family of one of the people he killed while in the LRA. The family even cooked a chicken for him! He is continually being more set free from fear, and is actively attending GBCC. This past week he brought his yet-to-be-saved wife with him to church (She was given to him as his wife in the LRA) along with two of her friends (one of which was delivered and got saved on Sunday). He is also praying for two more of his ex- LRA friends who are afraid and lost just like he used to be. Praise the Lord!


* The presidential elections passed peacefully here in Gulu (only a couple minor issues in Kampala) Thank you Jesus!


* God provided the finances and resources to get the ZP nursery started. We have the giant tent up (pictured right), and the mud floor is almost finished. We have also been blessed to have sturdy wooden, miniature tables and chairs for all the little ones and more toys and learning materials.


* God has given us discernment and direction about which girls to accept into the ZP Girls' Home, so now we have two new girls in the family with more to come in this next month :)


* God has answered my prayer for a mentor, and even exceeded my request by giving me a whole spiritual family! Baba Ron and Mama Joy (as they are affectionately called) are the pastors of the Swahili service at GBCC and have taken me under their wing as one of their spiritual daughters. I have found so much love and acceptance and freedom to be me when I visit their home. It is so healing...


These are just a few... there is so much to be thankful to God for!