Today did not begin as poetically as yesterday.  The night was very rough again and a screaming child and barking dogs took the place of praises in song.  We knew today was going to be a challenge.

We did get a good breakfast again.  Each day is a treat.  The management of the guest house sees fit to provide freshly made food each morning.  The mini-bananas and toast and tea (Danielle and I are Uganda tea buddies…she is invited over for tea any time!) are the best way to start the day.  Unless you are DeAndra and get french toast made specially for your breakfast.

Anyway, many Americans were staying inside their housing compounds due to the mayoral election in Kampala.  There was enough violence and ballot-box stuffing that the electoral commission canceled the last election midway through the day, so this was attempt number two.

We did not stay inside.  We went to another slum.  We were told it was not as bad as Namuwongo, but we agree unanimously it was worse.  The area is more organized and the “houses” better built, but the stench and trash and press of people was of a more extreme measure in our opinion.  The experience was intensified by rain.  Uganda’s soil is like the red clay of North Georgia or Oklahoma and when it is wet it is slimy.

We know God’s people were praying today.  The spiritual warfare was evident, but God’s power all the more.  We welcomed two Aishas, Ida, Sarah, Cissy, Betty, Jacqueline, Eva, Hawa, Miriam, Medina, Joseph, Judith, Shamim and Hadija into the family of God.  We also started two “house churches.”  I had the privilege of meeting with five people for Bible study we announced in the morning we were going to conduct in the afternoon  and Leslie and DeAndra met with about fifteen (show offs).

I had the privilege of leading Joseph to Jesus.  I have seen this many times before, but remembered once again the forces allied against Christ.  Joseph was nearing the time to make a choice whether or not to follow Christ.  All the sudden the perfectly calm and quiet child he held started screaming for no apparent reason, some fellow showed up behind me and started yelling something and a crowd started to bustle noisily by.  Joseph would not be dissuaded, however, he weathered the distractions and firmly stated his desire to become a follower of Jesus.

We also had opportunity to speak with Amena.  Amena is Muslim but disconnected from her faith.  She feels like Allah abandoned her since her husband was disabled in a traffic accident and then she suffered a home fire in which she lost everything she owned.  Amena wanted to know what kind of gospel we came to preach.  Uganda seems to be overrun by the “wealth” gospel we so often preach in the United States.

You may be familiar with this preaching:  God wants you to be happy and wealthy.  If you will give to my “ministry” as an act of faith then God will repay you with interest.  Amena is intelligent enough to know there is something radically wrong with this kind of teaching.  It was joy to explain the simplicity of the love of God delivered through the suffering of Jesus.  Amena is considering the claims of a Biblical presentation of following Jesus.  I believe she will be a powerful woman of God because of it.  Rather than blindly assenting to a different thing than she has heard, she will know its true before following.  Amena attended the afternoon “house church.”  We employed a simple inductive means of exploring the Scripture.  All but Amena claimed to be “born again” but it was Amena who answered the most difficult questions and demonstrated the best understanding of the teachings of Jesus.  I expect for the Holy Spirit to do extraordinary things.

The mosquitoes are awful this year.  These bugs are winged ninjas.  Unlike the fat, noisy American versions, Ugandan mosquitoes are in and out without the victim’s knowledge.  We have tried to be careful with the US Army approved repellent, but the intelligence officers of this enemy force adroitly found places we neglected to attend.  Only the small red welts serve as testimony each one of us has been tagged. [Yes Mom(s), we are all faithfully taking the anti-malarial medicines].