Jeff was asked to preach at a church this past Sunday, and it was so neat! It was called Mission Gospel Church, and the woman who owns the guesthouse where we are staying is a member there. It was the third church service we have attended, but the second church we have visited here in Jinja. Each Sunday I have been struck by several things. First, the churches here are much less comfortable, but services last much longer than back in Texas. They are really hot, with uncomfortable chairs, but people stay for 2.5 to 3 hours to worship with fellow believers. Secondly, the music is not always beautiful, sung with instruments, or even very pleasing to the ears, but it is sung and played with true, heartfelt passion. People do not need the latest worship songs or sound equipment, they just sing their hearts out to the Lord. Because most people do not have cars here, getting to church can be a major ordeal, and being able to attend on Sundays is a privilege that people do not take for granted.

Every Sunday I am humbled by the believers here who don’t need a show to get them through the doors of church and don’t need wealth or possessions to feel that they have been blessed. The people I have had the opportunity to worship with only require that the Word of God be taught and the name of the
Lord be praised. It has been an amazing experience and has really forced me to examine my own heart and the way that I view Sunday services.

Last Sunday, Jeff did an awesome job teaching about temptation. His primary text was James 1, and he talked about the lifecycle of sin. Something really interesting to me is that the church services here are all in English, and then someone translates them into Luganda. Jeff had a translator the whole time who was great!

Below is a picture of the choir. The man up front has serious handicaps, with only one arm (out of all his limbs) that is usable. He is confined to a wheelchair, in an area where there are no roads, sidewalks or pavement. He has to maneuver himself, with one arm, through dirt and rocks, and I have never in my life seen anyone praise the Lord with as much passion. He dances with his neck and right arm the entire time he sings, and his face is full of joy. He absolutely puts my meager faith to shame.

I can’t imagine the treasure this guy has stored up in Heaven and how awesome it will be when his body is restored and he will really be able to dance!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21