Real Church
Allow me to ramble a bit. No photos this time, just your mind’s imagination. Yesterday I sat on a bus with David Kaya and Edward Dima. We talked about all sorts of things. It was the three of us, on an e3 bus (yes, we have a bus now), engine off, in the shade, talking. An odd environment, but the seats are pretty comfy. A story arose. They told me that one night a woman arrived here at our main mother church. She had jerry cans in her hands, a sack of grain on her head, and her children by her side.
She approached the kitchen on the bible school grounds. This is adjacent to Seed Effect’s office, which alerted their night watchman. Some women from the kitchen and the watchman asked the woman what she was doing here in the middle of the night.
She was running away. Her husband had become totally enslaved to alcohol abuse, which turned to physical abuse towards her. She had been beaten for the last time, and was making her escape to extended family in Uganda. She came to the church--the word “sanctuary” rings out in my mind--to see if she could sleep here safely for one night. Of course, the workers agreed to put her and her children up for the night.
Pastor Dima found her the next morning and encouraged her to stay at the church--sanctuary. He let some time pass so in his words, “things could cool down.” Then he sent four Bible School students to confront the husband. After their discussion, he came to the church and began to weep. He professed faith in Christ, stopped drinking, cleaned up, and began being discipled.
I’m not sure how much time has passed, but I do know that a small group next week will bring the husband and wife together for reconciliation. Convinced he’s “walking the talk,” they’re ready for the family to come together again. To begin again. To experience healing.
At e3, and a lot of missions agencies, we hear big numbers and big God stories. I’ve told my share. Shoot, Joshua from Texas was just here last month and saw God restore a blind woman’s site. But it’s these smaller stories that have impacted me this week. A family reconciled. The Church being the Church.
The truth is ministries that only tell success stories should be viewed with skepticism. Things didn’t exactly go swimmingly for the Apostles. Later on that bus, and for the remainder of the day, we dealt with unfocused staff, immorality, envy, debt, and all sorts of discouraging realities of missions. And yet, we end up not discouraged and we look forward to tomorrow when 25 men will graduate from the Bible School.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
2 Cor. 4:8,9
Posted by on 07/22 at 03:50 AM