Sunday, September 13, 2009

Today the team headed out early for Gbalin and there divided into three groups.

Squeaky and Audra remained in Gbalin where Audra shared encouragement to the believers there and Squeaky preached a message and taught how to share the gospel. There was a homeless man came by asking for money we asked him to stay and hear God's word then we gave him some money for food.

Ryan and Kathy went to a small village about 25 minutes beyond Gbalin called Fifadji. The road (actually a path) to Fifadji was yet another adventure. At times the car was wider than the road. We crossed three creeks one with water almost to the doors. The ride made very clear why they put those handles on the dash of some 4-wheel-drive vehicles! When we arrived in Fifadji there where 45 people gathered under a thatched roof open-air church for a service. Kathy shared and encouraged the group and handed out cards and notes made by the girls in her Sunday school class. Everyone loved these and they wanted to have the children in the village make some and send to Kathy’s class in return. Ryan preached a message and story and did some training on how to use bible stories to share Jesus with others. It was a wonderful time. We went to the pastor’s home after the service and ate a great lunch of pounded yams and duck! We had a great conversation with the pastor and he was very excited to see Kathy eat his African food.

A.B. got on the back of a motorcycle in Gbalin and headed off to the village of Longbondjin. The path to Longbondjin is probably the source of the saying “You can’t get there from here!” but somehow A.B. did and found about 70 people waiting to hear the Word and preached, shared and taught. A.B. ate a lunch of chicken legs and pounded yams with the pastor in his mud hut.

The team convened back in Gbalin about 1:00pm and began setting up for an afternoon of Soccer with the Kids. Squeaky was able to share a story with the kids before we began and several prayed to receive Christ in the shade of a tree in the schoolyard. We had the fields set up and ready just in time for the clouds to move away and the sun to come out – with a vengeance – and made for a very hot afternoon.
We had many of the same kids back again today (including the one from Friday who played in his birthday suit and apparently brought a friend - dressed (or not) the same!)

Broken down vehicle count now 121 with 44 accidents!