Week 19 14/05/13-20/05/13
Big blog this week so if you just want the Juicy parts read Friday
and Monday, Cheers.
Tuesday
Today was our last day of prison Ministry, which is my least favorite ministry, so I am happy.
Wednesday & Thursday
This week is ‘Spiritual Emphasis’ week in which we are at
North looking deep into the nine spiritual gifts and how they should be
practical in our lives. These two days we have had lessons with Ronnie who is
the patrol oversight of Power FM; a Christian radio station run by Watoto
Church. We have been looking deeply into the nine gifts from the spirit being Discernment
of Spirits, Prophecy, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Healing, Faith, Miracles,
Wisdom and Knowledge. I think speaking in Tongues was the major gift that we
focused on as it is something that everyone can receive, whereas the others God
uses us to do, coming upon us with whatever for a short time. Tomorrow we have
our practical session where we will hopefully talk in tongues. I am already able
to speak in tongues so I am hoping that I will have a deeper experience with
the holy spirit.
Friday
Wow what an experience today has been, a very practical day
indeed. We started off our practical session with simple worship but boy did
the Holy Spirit have his targets picked out and he quickly made his move
amongst us.
The session started with us all on the stage at North
standing in a circle singing worship songs. After the first song Ronnie had the
people whom had never spoken in tongues before stand in the middle and those
who already could stand around so that we could pray in tongues and I guess
help those who couldn’t speak in tongues to speak. I get bet right now that
about ¾ of the people reading this will be questioning the authenticity of
tongues, but it is in the bible and it defiantly makes following Christ and
avoiding sin a whole lot easier, the battle is not ours but the lords. I like
to think of the Christian life being a cliff face and heaven is the top. God
has given us each a rock climbing kit and a manual of how to use it (the
bible), it is up to you however if you choose to read the manual carefully and
use the equipment for an easy climb (although there will be challenges, there
is usually a safe way to get around them). You may decide to use only the
ropes, the shoes or maybe just the helmet, but using everything how it is meant
to be used is the best way. So relating this to the nine gifts of the Holy
Spirit, these gifts are a part of the equipment that God has given us to go
through life like prayer and the church more basics of the Christian life there
is a whole lot more we don’t know about or feel qualified to use. But the thing
to remember is no matter your good deeds or how great you think you are we all
suck, are evil, are filthy, are failures and the only thing that gives us any righteousness
is Jesus; simple simple stuff and don’t let anyone tell you anything different.
So tying this up the proper knowledge of how to use of the climbing gear is
obtained by having a devoted life to the teacher and we all know having a
personal experience with hands on learning always makes the learning a whole
lot easier; a relationship with Jesus makes what we learn in the bible not just
head knowledge but heart knowledge and when it’s in your heart it becomes who
you are.
Anyway back to what happened there were a few sceptics who
didn’t believe anything would happen like many people reading this and weren’t
to on board or didn’t really have any expectations. The first was a guy who
stayed seated while we were on stage singing (no one expect the 360 class was
in the building we just needed a soft landing in case anyone was slain, carpet)
but as soon as he stood on stage he was hit by the spirit and looking up I saw
he was rolling on the ground yelling in tongues; slain. Then as I was praying
in tongues for people to also be able too, I started to laugh hysterically
(there are all types of reactions to the Holy Spirit) and then I began to cry
and scared things might get a bit out of hand I sat down for a bit of time out
and was unable to keep praying so all I could do was listen to Jesus’ voice. For
many people conviction is the major sign that people get from the Holy Spirit
but for me I was born with a conscience that makes up for the Holy Spirit’s job
so I will easily feel guilty and catch myself out, but the Holy Spirit is for
me the pilot light that when I get to the verge of depression lights me up
again. When I feel so depressed about my sin I just pray for joy in my heart
and sure enough I feel a warm burn starting from my heart outward that makes me
feel good about life again and get back into realistic thinking. I remember that
no one is perfect and every sin that I commit big or small will all work in the
plan and I find that often when I fall I learn so much more and instead of
going backwards I move forwards with my relationship with Jesus and the devil
has to look for another weakness in my walls; and I bet he will find it and I
will fall, yeah I may win the battle but I can stand strong that with Jesus I
have one the war, it is finished. When Jesus died on that cross and said it is
finished, they are probably the most powerful and useful words in any Christian’s
life, the battles will go on but the war has be one, once and for all. So as I
was sitting down I was just filled with reassurance that Jesus still loved me
(not that he ever or ever will stop) and that even though I had some sin that
could be considered pretty big to deal with that week it wasn’t going to
dictate the relationship between me and God because that isn’t what initiated
it. There is nothing I can bring but myself to God and so no matter my sin so
long as I repented and learned from it the only direction I could go was
forward. And I think I also was affirmed that a battle I have been fighting for
maybe my whole life was finished, even though there would be attacks the war
was over and freedom was mine in Jesus. So that was a really cool experience for
our relationship and Jesus voice is so much clearer and I know it will only get
better because that’s how it is with Jesus, up. It is just an awesome feeling
to know that you belong to a God who will never stop loving you regardless of
how good or bad you are, and that is what makes Jesus the best saviour, he
saves because of his love and realising that in my heart has really made alive
his unconditional love and knowing that I can fail and it be ok has really
fired me up not to fail because I don’t want to fail my Father, I want to be a
spiritual warrior and make him proud that there is a little Job in he world who
no matter what life throws at him is still going to be faithful to God. I
really believe this stuff I am talking about has to be revealed to your heart
by God because when it is whoa you feel awesome!
The second sceptic was a friend who is also an international
whom was sceptical about the whole thing because she too (I come from a similar
background) had not been in a church who embraced such concepts and was I guess
in a way estranged from them, which is ok; but I think this experience really
affirms that God has an awesome sense of humour and just loves to have fun and
save dirty people. After my time out Jesus (for me Jesus talks to me, that is
just our relationship) asked me to pray for people and maybe not have such a
deep experience myself but to help him out and I believe being asked by Jesus
to help him is just as good as being slain, he felt that I was a suitable
vessel which for anyone is probably the highest privilege on earth. So I walked
back up to the group and as I lay hands on someone, my friend fainted backwards
and I took it as my cue to pray for her. So some guys caught her and let her
down softly and left her going back to their own experience. I sat down and
held her hands as I passionately prayed in Tongues over her. After about maybe
three to five minutes she woke up with this huge inhale of air and started just
laughing hysterically. When she got her wits back together I asked if she had
seen a vision or been to heaven (just being positive and excited about the
whole thing) but she said she had just been conscious but had heard a voice
saying ‘ you can’t get back up yet, it’s not time’ but she said for some reason
she knew it was me praying for her; she defiantly couldn’t have heard my voice
over everyone else). She sat up and I guess being about 50% prompted by the
Holy Spirit in how I was during this session I said its time to speak in tongues
and so i just started paying in tongues and her eyes started fluttering and her
face just started twitching and every now and then she would let out a nervous laugh.
It’s weird how I felt comfortable and knew what I was doing during this time, defiantly
a Jesus is that you moment. In all the chaos of people crying, on the floor
moving about, yelling, shaking everyone was very peaceful and everything just
felt right. Anyway so as we are praying she says ‘Jack I can’t’ and I said ‘you
will just start speaking’ and I told her vision I had received for her the
other day. We had been praying partners the other day so looking back now it
was obviously ordained by God. So after that I continued and was just watching
her face, her eyes were closed and I could see her mouth open and closing like
a twitch and all of a sudden I realised I have raised my hand to her face and
bamn, she starts praying in tongues. It was like an engine starting with blurts
of words and then within a minute we had a smooth stream of words. So assuming
she was right I lowered my hand and then she stopped so i raised it and she
began again so I left it there for a while. I forgot to add that while I was
holding her hand when she was out, I actually checked her pulse casually just
to make sure, and everyone had a good laugh at that one when we were talking
about it later so I am sure Ronnie will use that story in the next intake, and
why not. Her tongues were sorted out by now so I left her prompted to pray for
other people and about two and a half hours we ended for lunch. It was a very
draining and recharging experience and we all felt very at peace after woods. They were the main events for me and some
people had been so engulfed by the spirit that they didn’t even respond to
people so we just left them. I know it sounds like these people were possessed but
it is a biblical thing that all Christian according to the word should exercise.
And I mean who would want to come back to reality when you’re in the presence
or close of God. Praying in tongues as I have previously said is the perfect
will of God as the Holy Spirit prays through you to God. But in saying this you
do have control of what you’re saying to an extent, you just start speaking and
the words come like speaking English and you have no idea what you’re saying
but it defiantly feels right. Te more you pray in tongues also the more your
language develops and the best thing is the Devil and demons are unable to
understand as it is a heavenly language. You can also be given a message in an
earthly language but that is another things altogether.
I believe I have experienced the other gifts before but I
really desire for God to use them in me for the greater of his Kingdom; a friend
ounce said that she wakes up and prays ‘God show in me today’ and I think that’s
pretty cool, because in the end it’s God it doesn’t matter who you are. So to
all you sceptics and unbelievers have the faith of a mustard seed, you don’t
need to travel to Africa to have the same experience because God is everywhere
and is equally available to everyone, you just need to tap into the revelations
that he will plant in your heart, let that be your prayer. As you can probably
see today was a very good day indeed.
Saturday
Today was our last day that we would ever be at Bbera. I was
at Richards’s house for most of the day playing with his new kitten. We said a
few goodbyes and then left for church. It was a nice last day and Hannah and
Emily had a party with their two sponsor kids whom are both amazingly in the
same home.
Sunday
Today was our last day serving at our districts and it was a
little sad but I know I have done a good job and enjoyed it as much as
possible. After many Sundays of making displays out of paper for the baby’s
class I dare say our activity has left some ugly scares on the wall where we
stuck animal cut outs etc with the world’s most demonic smelling glue. So this
Sunday Callie and I made posters of everything we learned about under the topic
of ‘God made’; for example horses, cows, trees, rocks etc, very simple things.
We used it to cover up the scars let’s say on the wall so that no one can see
them. I don’t think that anyone’s mad about it, but let’s just say out of sight
out of mind.
The usual routine of a Sunday is we leave home at 6:30am,
get to Central at maybe 6:45am and leave for our districts at 7:00am. We then
arrive at around 7:30am to 8:00am. I get off the bus and walk to Children’s
church where I proceed to create today’s display in the baby’s class, using
paper, crayons and chalk as my main mediums. By the time I am finished the
first class of babies is coming in and then Callie and myself help out during
the class. Then we have some time in-between where we prepare the classroom for
the second service and then I leave for the cell table where I take a brake
because there isn’t really anything for me to do during second service. When it
ends I go down and then will clean up the baby’s classroom and work on next
week’s stuff while third service is going on as there is no baby’s lesson for
third service. Then when third service ends it is about 1:45pm so we all meet
up at the main tent to stack the chairs and pick up the rubbish. Then we leave
picking up North on the way and then when we get to Central we may have lunch
and then we pray as a whole class before leaving for our weekend as it were. So
that is basically how a Sunday was for me and now it is all over, Sunday was a
very exhausting day and I usually had to sleep on the bus and when we got home.
So defiantly some memories I will be leaving behind here.
Monday
Today Hannah and Callie went to get their hair worked on so
Jess, Emily and I went to the craft markets to do some final souvenir shopping.
I had a painting ordered of a big mommy elephant and two baby elephants so I
was eager to pick it up and gets some other things on my list. The guy had
painted one but it wasn’t what I asked for so i asked him to do another one and
I am so happy I did ask because this one is just incredible. I also bargained one
for Callie got it from 250’000 shillings to 120’000, which is very good indeed
and picked up some other things. I bought two other paintings for about $4 and
$17 each and some other smaller items for people back home. It was a fun day as
I love hunting for a bargaining and spending money on exciting things.
It has been a big week and I hope the next three are just as
thrilling as my time comes to an end. I have unfortunately caught flu again so
prayers against that would be highly appreciated; as no one wants to be sick in
Africa and fingers crossed it’s not malaria because that wouldn’t be fun. Also
I know it’s childish in a way but also prayers that my travels home would go
very well and that things like baggage weight and customs and missing the plane
etc wouldn’t be a problem and I can have a great finish to this gigantic
adventure, it will be so much more when I am home because I will feel like I
had just left and then I will look back at all the things I did and how I have
changed and then I will sit in my black chair and be amazed that I did
something so big and out of my comfort zone and survived to tell the tale. It’s
gonna be epic! What it is, I don't' know.
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