A GREAT BAPTISM SERVICE AND THE LAST DAY OF THE CRUSADE

Today was the last day of the Crusade. The church services this morning were totally wonderful. We had a teaching time for the new converts at 9:00 or so. I taught about baptism and the church was full even at that time. We were going to do the baptisms before the main service but the water was still being piped into the newly constructed (re-constructed baptism pool. In the end we waited until after the main service. All that had to be taken care of was the clothes situation. The Africans are so keen to put their best into worshipping God that they don’t like to be dressed in anything less than their best gear. It’s not just a “British tradition” it is a sigh of honour toward God. You can’t criticize them on that could. Everyone gets dressed up. So Jaemin and I had to come back after the teaching session to get changed. Then we had to take our clothes for the baptism and get changed again.

The main service was totally packed with people standing outside. More than a hundred and ten of the new converts were in the service and they made a bit fuss of them in a very genuine way and gave them some books to help them with their Christian life. There were many other converts in other congregations around Mbale according to other pastors so that was absolutely wonderful. There were a lot of other new people as well and they reckon there was over twelve hundred in the service.

It was their seventh wedding anniversary as a church. Not bad having twelve hundred people gathering after seven years. They also have planted thirty churches and have two secondary schools and a primary school and have 700 kids being looked after in orphanages.

The actual baptism time was just terrific. We baptized over a hundred and twenty people. I don’t know how those guys baptized three thousand because I was pretty tired after this lot. They lined them up in two lines and Patrick and Jaemin baptized one line and one of the other pastors and myself baptized the second line. It was pretty wild in the pool as God began to touch some of the people as they were in the water. There are no shortages of people to haul anyone who needs it off the floor or out of the water. One of the things that I noticed was how so many of the older people especially were really thin and I don’t mean healthy thin. We’ve prayed for a lot of people with aids this week and you always think that if the person is really thin they are probably aids affected.

We came home for lunch and I did some preparation for the last Crusade meeting. I was expecting a small crowd but there were thousands once again. At the beginning of the altar call I thought we may have fished the pool dry, but people kept coming. What tends to happen is that about a half or two thirds of the people come through my appeal and then the bishop takes over and another third come. He is much more persuasive than I am and has a great rapport with the people. We make a good team.

We went out for pizza after the service. Imagine that - pizza in the heart of rural Uganda. It was beautiful and we really were hungry. Everyone was in really high spirits after the events of the day. One of the things that happened as we were leaving the school grounds: the people were celebrating like we have not seen all week. You would have to be here to see how this happens. Everyone gets moving. The little kids and the adults alike. If I was going to make a judgment I would say that the men dance with more rhythm that the women, but there wouldn’t be much in it. The worship team are great African dancers and they get the whole place moving. Emmanuel is the final segment celebration leaders specialist and he gets everyone involved.

Tomorrow we have a rest in the morning and then pack up and head for Soroti in the afternoon. There is a betting agency taking money on how long it will take to get there. We have heard as quick as an hour and we have heard three and a half hours. We are about to find out who gets the money.

I’m not sure if there will be opportunity for me to send from Soroti. I am hoping there will be an internet café there or something, but I will try.

The photos’ will probably come tomorrow. The power went out again and they are running a generator here at the house just for a short time.

Hope to keep you in touch. Love to you all and keep praying for us.