Feeling at home in the midst of everything unfamiliar . . .

Africa Gospel Church (AGC)Uganda held their annual pastors’ and wives conference last week.  We felt so at home as they worshipped in song and dance.  Praising the Lord together in several different languages, three of which we knew enough words to join in (Luganda, Swahili, and English) made us feel right at home. It was refreshing to sing familiar choruses and go through familiar motions to some of the songs. The freedom to dance to the music, praising the Lord wholeheartedly moved our hearts to dance even when our feet were out of step with the African feet. We will never match the African sense of rhythm but we sure do enjoy it and they don’t mind when we try J

Our dear, dear friend, Rev. Dr. Robert Langat, Bishop of Africa Gospel Church Kenya, was the guest speaker. It was such a delight to meet him as he arrived, guide him to the conference, and then bring him home with us to spend a night. We have a long history of friendship and prayer partnership. It was wonderful to catch up with all that is going on with him, his family and AGC Kenya. We stayed up too late and still had too little time together but oh, it was grand.  We prayed together and it gave us that wonderful feeling of home.

God challenged our hearts through His word as we listened and prayed at the conference. Hearing the hearts of the men and women attendees as they asked questions, as they sang and as they prayed helped us learn a little more when all is unfamiliar. We have so much to learn in AGC Uganda. We forged new acquaintances which we pray will, over time, help us feel more at home where all can seem so unfamiliar.

God is so gracious to us.  He alone can lead us into feeling at home in the midst of everything unfamiliar.