Week Two

Well, it is the second week and everything is just as good as last week. A few notable things - we killed a few baby ‘black mambas’ in and around the house, not bad for the second week. I was helping reverse the polarity of Chris’s house lights and Isaiah, one of Chris’s children, was helping me. As a plus he got to look at a few of my cool things as we were working where I sleep. "Aw, you baked me a cake," he said, looking at the white box of the proclaimer. I pulled it out and turned it on just to show him. It started playing the New Testament in Luganda.  In a few seconds, the helper known as Jethro had entered the room to start listening. He took it with him as he worked that day. I can’t wait to find a place to play this openly in a listening group.

Now get this, this is how the Lord can work... So there I was on the streets of Jinja with Jane, who was showing me how to use public transportation.  We ate at Ozzie's, a diner run by an elderly Australian woman. Jane was about to leave me and return home to tend to the children and I was about to roam the streets freely, when she spied another missionary at the cafe just across the streets. Jane took me over and introduced me to Anna Marie, an Australian Christian missionary, also 19 yrs. old, who offered to introduce me to another missionary I had heard about from Chris and Jane, Andrew Oleson, 20yrs. Anna and I would meet Andrew later that day, but first Anna wanted to show me a home she worked at that took care of babies and children affected by HIV. I played with some babies for a few hours or so and talked with Anna, who has a very loving heart for the children of this nation, till it was time to meet Andrew and his friend Micah, 25yrs. Turns out, Andrew had been praying for another male missionary friend, and as a plus he mentioned he had been craving beef jerky, which I happened to have from the States.  I shared and the four of us played cards at Andrew’s and Micah’s apartment till it became dark. Anna lives just across the street from Chris and Jane, about a 45 minute walk up a hillside.

The next day I was invited to an orphanage village of hope, where I played with some older children. A few older young men, upon hearing I was an American, became very interested in me. I took this opportunity to tell them a little of the birth of our nation and how we honored (yasue) Jesus in the beginning and as a people. He blessed us with our land and wealth as a nation. I shared the importance of keeping a relationship with Christ by reading his word and seeking to hear and obey him. By this time I had to return home as it was getting dark and it is dangerous to travel at night. So, I decided to get lost and wander around in pitch black until I found the railroad tracks that run past Chris’s house. I asked some children the way to St. Benedict’s, a school near Chris’s house, and found my way home. I met a mad man. We have those around here. They have glaring red eyes and could be demonic, mental or drugged, but other than a little weirdness and noises he gave me no trouble.

On another day I traveled with Chris to an eastern region in Uganda fairly close to Kenya, this place had more acacia trees and was located in a savannah setting. Chris was helping some Christian friends with farming God’s way in a village way out in the bush. These people have thatched roof houses with mud sides, and they live together in a family group with the oldest man being the center and all his dependents living in huts around him. This elderly man was the pastor of a mud hut church. I talked with an 18yr. old boy named Daniel. He showed me around his village and explained a few things.

Sunday I went to a Ugandan church. It was a wonderful experience to meet other brothers and sisters in Christ, and not know what they are saying, but feeling the same as a church does back home. Monday I went with Chris and Jane out north about three hours along dirt roads to Jane’s father’s homestead, built in the same way around the father as the village closer to Kenya. While I was there, a little child named Sammy put a bean in his ear and had to go to the hospital to get it out. We had to wait a long time to see the doctor.

 I am working on translating the five Evangelism Explosion points of the gospel into Luganda, so I can tell it to people at the appropriate times. 1 Heaven is a free gift; it cannot be earned or deserved. 2 Man is a sinner; he cannot save himself. 3 God is merciful, but He is also just.  He must punish sin. 4 Christ is fully God and fully man. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to purchase heaven and intimacy with God. 5 Saving faith is not just head knowledge, nor is it temporary faith, but trusting in Christ alone for salvation. I plan to visit Massese slum soon, but I am instructed not to go alone without some experienced missionary there who knows Massese. Thank you all once again for praying and supporting me!

 

In Christ,

 

David Greene