Crusades and Childrens Movies

It was a very interesting day Friday. I was invited to teach at a crusade in Kajjansi being held by Pastor Aaron. I agreed to go but I had told them that we couldn't let them use the generator or sound system from the church as it was needed for the Friday night kid's movie, Saturday youth group and Sunday services. But I did bring our back up system. The choir sang for 1 1/2 hours but the set up guys didn't notice that the battery operarted system had become disconnected from the power source. So just about the time Aaron was to teach the system goes dead.

We finally get the sound system up again Aaron's teaching goes well the choir sings for half hour and the system dies again. Sound systems are meant to die but what bothered me was that no one wanted to fix the system they would rather complain about it! But we got it living again and it was my turn to teach. The sound system had no problems for the message but as soon as the altar call came and the choir started to sing the sound system went on holiday again. There didn't appear to be any fruit from the whole first day of the crusade.

My heart was getting hard by this point as the common refrain was "If we had better equipment God would bring us success." It was all I could do not to lash out at people and defend my decision. So I told Aaron that I was heading back to Jinja that night instead of staying. He was disappointed but I just couldn't trust myself to stay and say something that might hurt our relationship.

On the 3 hour ride home I asked the Lord repeatedly"Is there any fruit today" but I couldn't see anything.
I got home at 11 ate dinner and went to bed, thoroughly discouraged.

This morning JB came over all excited about what had happened last night. I told him that nothing happened but he said I just hadn't heard. At the Friday night movie, the children's version of the Jesus film, in Luganda, about 100 kids came. During the movie there was none of the usual talking and joking. When the time came to ask the kids to pray to receive Jesus as their Savior, every child quietly asked Jesus to save them. JB had never seen anything like it! All this was happening while I was driving and ask God "Where is the fruit?"

I am amazed at how self focused I can be. I was discouraged that God had not used me for a great harvest at Kajjansi. But God was busy with His plan not mine for His glory not mine! Praise you Jesus for saving all those kids. Thank you that your Father's will is done not mine!

Tomorrow I go back to Kajjansi to share the hope of life in Jesus. I don't care if the sound system works or that I teach well but just that Jesus is there and the Holy Spirit is working.

Maybe I'll just show a movie.