Day Twelve

GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! Today was no exception! When the crew came to get us Samuel the military man who was with us last year and is with us again this year stated he wanted to be baptized. Now you might remember that he was the one who ran into the water last year when John Kabul was baptized and said “me too me too”. We all knew that he was probably full of emotion and did this out of that emotional feeling. We have told you about many issues and this was one of them. Samuel has been talked to for a whole year by John Kabul about this. He has been talked with several times by different ones of us this year about this. Last night we had a very serious talk with the whole crew and you could see Samuel’s face beginning to change into that look of seriousness that one has when they are thinking deeply about issues. He stated that if he needed to give up the military (he has been in for 12 years) for Christ he would. GOD IS GOOD! Another soul met Jesus in baptism!

GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! Today was no exception! When we arrived at Priscilla Street to start our teaching and to take Samuel’s confession and for Christian Asgill to baptize him a young lady named Marian who had been at our studies the last two days stated she needed to be baptized. She was identified with the largest Pentecostal group in Freetown. We talked with her – she knew what she needed to do – she made the great confession that Christ was the Son of God – then she went to be baptized along with Samuel. GOD IS GOOD! Another soul met Jesus in baptism!

GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! Today was no exception! A young man by the name of Jerry – a real sharp Bible student who had been baptized in the USA by those of the Boston Movement (International church of Christ) continued to talk with us about his baptism. He was having some doubts after listening to our teaching. He had several conversations with us and had one final conversation with Dan Barker after another lesson had begun. We received a call when we arrived back at the hotel tonight – Jerry met Jesus in the watery grave of baptism. It seems after our studies that he contacted Christian Asgill and stated he needed to be baptized and he was! GOD IS GOOD! Another soul met Jesus in baptism! Jerry is one who wants to go one on one to people to teach – he said I want to teach but not in the pulpit – I want to teach one on one. WOW! The Lord’s church need more like Jerry!

GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! The plan to take the gospel to Makeni is really coming together. One of the reasons (again there are many) that we have decided not to go (now you will know two of the reasons because I told you one in the last blog – newborn babes who need to be grounded further) is that we discovered that it was positioned wrongly. The emphasis is to be on the seed that is sown - the Word of God -and not on the one sowing (I Cor. 3). For us to go under the conditions of the emphasis being put on the white man coming to teach is a wrong reason to go. The plan now is that native Sierra Leoneans who have been taught and grounded in the Word of God will go and teach. This will be done very soon after we leave – we will be studying with the ones going until we leave to assist in further grounding.

Oh yes, before I forget – our teaching went extremely well today. Dan Barker started with “Do you know my Jesus” and the assignment that he had given for everyone to write a page stating their thoughts of who their Jesus was. The ones that did this had their comments read – it was really touching as some of them even went to the library to look up Greek words and to have the quiet to study just who Jesus was. Another great opening lesson by Dan Barker.

Dan Byers then gave a lesson on the organization of the local congregation and the fellowship each one of the members is to have even though they have different talents. It was a very good study, that as we have found on this trip, needed to be addressed. Dan again delivered his lesson in such a way all could understand. I know it is getting old but again a great job.

The four of us made a decision because of all the confusion that we had found here about baptism and that many (even in the congregations started by those of those of the institutional belief) believed that as long as you were immersed – even if it was by a different teaching than that of the New Testament (denominational teaching) that you were okay that I would change my lesson for today. My lesson I gave was “Can One Be Taught Wrong but Baptized Right?” After the lesson there were questions and I felt so bad because we are all on a time limit and I went over – not all because of me but because of the questions and one older gentlemen telling me that you can’t sit down we still have questions. I have told you over and over what a great threesome Dan, Dan and Jimmy are – well they said stay up there and so I did.

Jimmy then finished with the work a woman can do in the church – boy did he do a great job! He addressed issues and misconceptions about the work a woman can do in the church and he again had the audience on the edge of their seats – both men and women. He did such a good job and did it in such a great time limit that we were able to spend 40 minutes in question and answer session. This was our second one today!

Well we thought our studying was done – we were wrung out! Tonight we had about a 3 hour study with Joseph on some issues. He just left about 20 minutes ago– the time here is 11:39 P.M. and we have lessons to work on for tomorrow. Oh yes, about tomorrow – we will be teaching at Priscilla Street like we have been doing – then we will go to Wellington and teach tomorrow night. Friday you ask? We will teach at Priscilla Street – Dan and Dan then go to the airport to come home – Jimmy and I will go to Tengbeh Town to teach on Friday night. Saturday you ask! Jimmy and I will be at Priscilla Street all morning and afternoon teaching the book of Galatians to local preachers. Sunday you ask! Right now there are four congregations wanting us to speak. Next week we are booked at Priscilla Street in the daytime with the new converts and some of the preachers in studies. At night we will be at some of the congregations.

Thanks again for your support and prayers –GOD IS GOOD – WE ARE SAFE – ISSUES ARE BEING HANDLED THAT HAVE PLAGUED US – GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME!