3.11.07

Sunday 3/11
(11:15pm)

Whew – what a Sunday! The morning began as expected and I had plenty of time to finish my Sunday School preparation. We drove to church (with Michael Miller who was saved the other night) arriving 5 minutes late – surprise, we were the first ones there! By quarter after 10, enough adults were there to start at least with some singing. I started preaching around 10:30 and the place was packed a half hour later when I closed in prayer.

Our team led the morning worship service American-style, as requested by the church folks, who are really trying to embrace a more traditional, less charismatic worship style. At the end of the announcements, during which Dr. Allison presented the big card and cash gift and Paulcy presented a gift from the youth at Malvern, some of the FPMC leaders requested to speak. Kowah thanked us profusely and had a large number of church people come up to present us with gifts of appreciation. I had been video-taping all of this, so I handed the camera off when my turn came to be officially robed in a green tribal tunic – I must say, I look pretty fine as an African. James McCole then presented each of us with a wrapped gift for our wives. A surprise was the newspaper editor, saved only three days ago, who showed up to make a presentation. He gave Dr. Allison a book full of photos from the Crusade as well as the negatives, after which he publicly declared his desire to join the church – quite a transformation.

I led the singing for the service and Dr. Allison preached an encouraging message on Christ’s Kingly office. Near the end of his message, rain began to fall and by the time he closed in prayer, the light shower was a torrential downpour. Due to the deluge, nobody left before Communion, so as soon as Paulcy and George finished preparing the elements, Dr. Allison attempted to begin the service. However, the rain had swamped the generator, leaving him without amplification, and the sideways downpour was forcing a chaotic jumble of people in the middle of the pavilion, all trying to avoid the open outside walls. Dr. Allison could barely be heard yelling over the rain as he read from I Corinthians, until Teddy rushed in, soaking wet, with the church’s megaphone – it was a huge help. The rest of the Communion service was a very special time for the church, which cannot observe that sacrament normally due to a lack of an official minister. The rain finally let up near the end of the service.

Having chosen church leadership positions last night, our team had to interview those people after the Lord’s Supper and prior to a business meeting to announce those decisions. We actually started that meeting around 2:30 (note: we last ate around 8am) and again, I did the laborious work of a minutes secretary. I don’t ever want to be Clerk of Presbytery! The congregation seemed happy enough with the new leadership structure, and those announcements were followed by several interviews of pastors from interested churches.

After the meeting, Dr. Allison was approached for counseling by two consecutive ladies, one of whom is the Roman Catholic daughter of the church landlord. She had attended one of the Crusade services and Dr. Allison had the joy of leading her to Christ this afternoon. For the next half hour she was engrossed in reading “A New Beginning.” Meanwhile, I had a good talk with Evangelist Jones and Big Boy, who came to church as promised. Jones is excited about Big Boy and offered to let him come by the new bookstore anytime so Jones can read the Bible to him and disciple him. God has done remarkable things this week!

We finally arrived back at the EGH with 5 church guests (Kowah, Yassah, Moses, Jones, Monger), and ate lunch and dinner as one meal around 6pm. Unfortunately, everything, though tasty, was also too spicy and I had to resort to a Clif bar in my room. After dinner, we showed them the Liberia DVD from last year – it’s amazing how much more I can now recognize and sympathize with them now that I’ve seen it all first hand. When they left shortly before 9pm, we all relaxed for a while, talked, and figured out plans for our last few days – not sure they’ll be much more relaxing than our last two weeks…oh well, that is why we are here.

It’s getting late, I still want a shower, and am hoping Linds will call me back, so I’m signing out – just three more nights to write…