On Sunday we were picked up by the Shaarda family for church. The church is in Obule. Soroti has many different 'Sub Counties' I don't know if that's the right name for them, but Obule is still in Soroti (I think!) Anyway, the top picture is of the church The service was done in English and translated in Teso. The Lord was glorified that day, under a thatch building with a dirt and dung floor, on wooden benches, with drums and homemade tamborines, with little babies and children scattered around........and it was simply beautiful. They didn't need comfy pews, nice carpet, an expensive organ or piano or a big beautiful building...not that those things are bad, but it sure was a blessing to worship with such simplicity, that Gods word was the only focus......
After the church service we were escorted to a hut where we would be served lunch. It is custom that when a guest visits the church they serve them lunch after the service. While we ate, we listened to the testimony of the pastor of the church. He shared about the changes in his life as a result of the Biblical training that Josh Shaarda had done with them. He shared that his wife didn't know he loved her because he never said 'I love You' during the whole time they had been married. He also was cruel and abusive to his children. He didn't know Gods word spoke of children being Gifts from God. His family had changed so much, that his neighbors began asking about it and wanted him to come speak about it at their churches. There is a picture below of us with the pastor and his wife and other leaders in the church with their wives....all with their arms around eachother. When Mandi took this picture, she said this was so uncultural because men don't touch their wives in public, so it was so great to see them follow Chris and put their arms around their wives! In poor communities such as this, a man is chosen to be pastor if he is good at speaking and respected in the community. Many times, they don't even own a Bible. They have such a desire to hear and learn Gods word.
Sunday evening we had Pizza and Praise nite at the Guzzaldos with all of the team. Jim made pizza in his new oven for the first time....the one he made in his backyard out of a termite hill, cow dung, dirt, and brick! The pizza was fabulous and so was the praise.
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