A few weeks ago at Jinja Town Church we were getting set up and ready for church on a Sunday morning. We meet outside under a tent, and every week getting the place ready for us to meet takes a lot of effort. It’s the rainy season, so there is usually dirt and mud under the tent which has to be cleaned up. The chairs are dusty and dirty. On this particular morning, tree limbs had fallen on our tent from a severe thunder-storm the night before and had damaged the tent in several places. We began cleaning and setting up at 7:00 am. By 9:30, people were starting to arrive, I was already exhausted, and we were still scrambling to finish tidying up. As I was rushing around, I noticed a gentleman who kept trying to get my attention. Because I was in a rush and because I was exhausted, I tried ignoring him for sometime. But he didn’t give up. Finally, I turned and rather gruffly said, “Ssebo, chi chi?” Which means, Sir, what do you want?
He answered with one of the most honest confessions I have ever heard: “I am a thief and a drunkard, but I want to be saved.” Wow! Can you believe I almost missed this amazing moment because I was in too much of a rush to make sure the space was clean? The service was getting ready to begin, so I introduced him to some leaders of our church to talk with him about his relation-ship with Jesus.
Immediately after the service, I was going to check on them because they were still talking together. On my way, a young man rather forcibly grabbed me by the arm and said, “I have been a Muslim since birth, but what you were talking about today is what I need in my life. I want to be saved!”
I said, “Come with me,” and I introduced him to the same leaders and my new friend. Both of these men became followers of Jesus that day. Afterward as we were sitting and chatting, one of my leaders said to them, “Though you came in here as strangers, you are leaving as brothers!” Isn’t God amazing? That morning a drunk thief and a life-long Muslim became brothers in Christ! Hallelujah!
Please keep us in your payers in coming weeks and months. Many of you gave generously and God blessed us with the 4×4 camper truck. God is amazing! Thank you so much to all of you who helped us achieve this goal. As I write this article, my family and I are in the village for three days to train and encourage two new church plants. Then we will be traveling deep into the bush and living in the village for one week every month for the rest of the year. None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you so much for your ongoing financial support. I pray that God richly blesses you for the way that you have blessed us.
– Smooth
