I have lost count of how to count days so I now will try entry #s. The last entry ended on Saturday afternoon. After that I ate, looked over my sermon and went to bed. Pretty exciting stuff.
During the night I woke up an decided that my sermon was not right for the occasion. The first service was for mostly orphans and some adults who care for them. A scripture kept going through my head in the wee hours of the morning so I got up early, went out on the front patio and began working on a new sermon. I preached the scripture in the past so I looked it up and adapted it for that morning. We ate some breakfast and awaited our guide to arrive.
Once he came, we followed him to The Village, which is the name for the orphanage. I took note of turns and landmarks along the way. As we arrived we heard singing coming from a room I had visited two years ago. Church was just starting. We took our place on the front row. Better than Haiti where we would have sat up front facing everyone. As I surveyed the room it became clear to me that I still had the wrong sermon and I began to wonder what I was going to say. So while the kids and helpers sang, danced, shared communion and offering, I thought and planned. An idea slowly developed.
These were kids, so why not talk about kids in the Bible. I began my sermon, four stories about young people in the Bible. The first was David, as a shepherd boy, a young man who killed a lion, became a great warrior and king, and writer of songs. Once we got going and I added some actions things were going well. Point, God prepared a shepherd boy to fight a giant.
The second young man was Samuel. He was left at the tabernacle to be raised by Eli the priest. One night God called him. Three times he went to Eli only to be told to go back to bed. Finally Eli understood it was God calling and told him to answer. He was to tell Eli exactly what God said. This boy grew to be a prophet. Point, God sometimes needs people to speak his message.
Story three was the boy with five loaves and two fish. I talked about hungry people, no food by this boys lunch, and a miracle feeding. The key to the whole story is this boys lunch. He had to give it up if these people were to be fed. As an aside, I used a small boy as a prop for this point and when I reach to take his imaginary lunch he screamed and cried. Perfect for my point. And the Point was, God sometimes asks us to give all we have for his use.
The final story was about the unknown child that Jesus brought to his lap. The disciples were arguing as to was greatest and Jesus used this child to say the least will be great. The point was sometimes we are simply an example and model of faith.
After the first service, I thought it went so well and was so appropriate for the workers at the Village, that I repeated it, with a little less flair. Not much less, but a little. And I will most likely preach it on our first Sunday home.
The day ended with lunch with the missionary neighbors we share driveways with, some discussion of our assignment here in Zimbabwe. This was meant to clarify somethings, but it was more adding to what we are to be doing. Seems this job is getting bigger all the time.
We arose this morning at went to the office for a staff meeting, made some plans for the next couple of weeks as to where we are going. Now I know the names of some of them, but still have no idea how to pronounce them or where they are, but that will come. I few errands, a new toilet seat, lunch prepared by the Thackers, and a shopping trip. After I arrived it became clear that I had not packed the appropriate clothing for my assignment. Too many t-shirts, not enough buttons. So Sherry I walked to the local department store, found three shirts and walked home. Not a long distance but not close either. On the way home we stopped to but some water and ended up with four sugar cookies. We are now home waiting for the next big step on our grand Zimbabwe journey.
