Just wait... they're coming.

Sisheke.  Oh my. You feel called to Mwandi, specifically, but then you realize the world is a large place with needs to be met everywhere you go. According to the end of Matthew 28, we are called to make disciples while going not called to go.  We go because we believe in Jesus’ call on our lives to love our neighbor when we first come to believe and ask Jesus into our hearts.  So, as we’ve been going during this trip and trying to not only participate in God’s work here but also to be as observant as possible many things come to my attention.  Probably too many to list.  Wonder if google glasses will have the ability to freeze frame all of the memories that entices my brain so that I can go back through my day and be able to remember all of those things that made me stop and say, “wow”?  Somebody call google.  I’m busy.

Percy has eluded many times to the South African culture, mainly the Western Province of Zambia as a mystic people.  Something we don’t embrace much in the states in our own personalities.  But the bible talks about surrealism, the good kind, not the vampire romance kind.  Why is it so hard for us as Americans to believe in the Spirit world?  Sounds new agey, huh?  I have seen the Zambian culture reference many times the things of the spirit and of the Spirit.  It’s just the lines being blurred or the fact that there’s probably just one Lozi word for both and people here mistake one for the other.  But when you come here to love people where they are you realize the beauty in the mysticism of the Zambians.  As Americans, we tend to rely heavily on the knowledge of things, even biblical or spiritual things.  We research it, we read about it, we ask about it, we debate about it, we kill the mysticism of our spirituality.  There was nothing intelligent about Acts 2:1-13.  In that, I mean not one of those filled with the Holy Spirit stopped the Spirit to debate with the bystanders about whether or not this was actually the Spirit and should they go ahead with letting it happen.  Sometimes that flutter in your belly or that quickening of your heartbeat really is God exciting you for the world around you.  He’s beckoning you to speak truth in someone’s life.  He’s calling you to reach out to your neighbor.  It’s not always a need for a call to the doctor to see if you need to up your meds for some condition you may be suffering.  Do you think when we arrive at the pearly gates St. Peter is going to be shaking his head?  “You were called the frozen chosen because you medicated yourself into apathy.”  I’m not down playing anyone’s medical condition, I’m just pointing out that we can be a little too over cautious about jumping in when God wants us too when it takes us out of our comfort zone and plunges us deep into the Spirit.

Doug preached twice yesterday.  Yea, you guys just thought you had it bad.  LOL!!!  Just kidding!  The preaching duo team of Doug and his interpreter, Percy is an amazing thing to listen to…. even twice in one day!  We were in church in the morning at Living Sword Ministries in Sisheke, Zambia.  Church started at 9:30.  We arrived at 10.  Doug didn’t preach until at least 11:30 or after I think.  I honestly didn’t even look at the time until we got in the car and Abby and I looked at the clock and realized that it was almost 2:30.  So I’m totally guessing on the time that he started his sermon.  Let’s just say that here in Africa they love to worship with music and songs and prayer and an occasional sermon in the middle somewhere.  Doug brought the Word to a very dry and thirsty crowd that soaked it all up.  The congregation was beautiful.  The music was AHmazing!  It was a soaking session in the Holy Spirit for sure.  Full of mysticism and solid truth being preached.  The best of both worlds, theirs and ours.

Before the evening crusade was to begin, the pastor of Living Sword was adamant on letting us get to our accommodations and resting up for the crusade later that night.  He realized that it was getting late and hurried us back to rest about 430.  We all set our alarms for 515 to be up and ready by 530.  The pastor and elders were to return to brief the men on what was going to happen that night.  530 came.  6 came. 630 came. Noone.  Oh boy, was the sermon that morning too truthful?  Was no one wanting us to come back?  We were all ready and waiting.  Turns out after some texting back and forth that the pastor knew we had gotten back late so he decided to give us extra time to rest up, but had neglected to tell us that piece of information.  You see, here in Africa, you arrive when you’re ready.  You rest until you feel its time to go and get started.  In America, we place demands on our time to show up when we say it should start whether we’re rested or ready or not.  I think we may have to start moving when we’re ready not when its time according to the clock.  It goes against everything in my veins to switch that around.  I’ve never had someone intentionally give me extra time to rest up knowing I was tired and hold back the event just so I could be ready to receive.  Lord, forgive me.  I want margin in my life to rest in order to receive.

The crusade itself was breathtaking.  They meet at the local basic school campus on Sunday mornings, so for the crusade they used the futbol fields out back.  It was set with a stage and power for microphones and keyboard and lights!  It was freezing cold, too!  People were bundled up in their blankets and winter hats!  The local church members and local townspeople showed up around 7:30.  We were there by 8, maybe.  Time is different here.  We were met with lots of dancing and worship music and then Doug brought it home again with the message of Restoration in Christ.  I couldn’t see the number of people that were actually there because it was dark, but when Percy asked if anyone wanted to pray for Jesus to come into their hearts there were 60+ people coming from out of the shadows!  Young, really young and old came from places we couldn’t even see.  Doug said there were townspeople out in the shadows way back there with flashlights listening to the sermon and music.  It was surreal.  It was mystic.  It was definitely the Holy Spirit.  Each person was prayed for right then and there one by one.  Each had their own story of what they needed prayer for in their lives.  Some young boys who struggle with alcohol addiction.  A lady who didn’t want to be a prostitute anymore.  One young man who was alone and HIV positive.  Christ was alive in that moment and in the lives of those who wanted to know him.  I love my time in Mwandi, but this time in Sisheke was life altering.

Yesterday was also a big day in the states.  Did you hear the fanfare and see the celebratory parties?  Yes, my youngest turned 14 yesterday without her parents.  It was an odd feeling.  I’ve never missed a birthday for her.  She had a great one and will continue to celebrate through next weekend when her second party will take place!  I thank God for my family and friends!  They have been so amazing and wonderful in making this trip possible for us by providing for my children at home.  Sarah is so supportive of our trip and knows how much we love her.  I wish I could be more like Sarah and her journey with Jesus.  She is such an amazing young lady.  Her spirit is much like the mystic people of Zambia, open and ready to be filled with God’s grace and mercy.  She’s prepared.  She rests up.  She knows how to be filled without pretention.  She doesn’t question.  She just is.

Acts 2:12 “Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Are we ready to answer this question ourselves?  Are we ready for the Holy Spirit to just come upon us with no forewarning?  Rest up!  Be ready.  It’s going to be amazing.