Celebration!!!!

Several months ago we bought a piece of land for the town church. We had all given for about two years. No money came from outside of our church. There are two other pieces of property that we were interested in buying as well. We all committed again to giving so Cheryl and I loaned the church the money. If you get a loan here in Uganda you will pay 25%. We were happy to be able to help.
It is has been a crazy ordeal. It is hard to do business when people are not honest. Ronald has been working on this for over five months. Dick has been helping him as well.
Yesterday we purchased the lower piece of property! Last week I had to drive to Kampala and get the cash. Ronald Dick and I droved there and back in one day.
We had a meeting planned for Friday but it just didn't happen.
The Balif selling the upper piece of land informed me that he was going to sell it to another party. I let him know how I felt about it.
We kept getting jerked around.
Well, after much prayer and work we bought the upper piece of land as well!

Now we own all three connecting lands on the Saaka Road!
Today we had our discipleship meeting on our own property!
We strung a tarp up because it was going to rain and David said "We just need to ask God to drive the rain away."
Go ahead David
He began to pray out loud.
It poured nearby but we were only getting drizzled on. The guys teased David and he told them that maybe they should have prayed as well.
As I led the men in prayer thanking God for the land. I asked God to remove any article of witch craft. As soon as I said that the fire Popped loudly. We asked God to burn up anything that should not be there. The fire popped again.
The guys began to laugh.
We asked the Lord to make this a Holy Place. Then I felt the warm sun on my shoulder.
The men said see...God drove the rain away just like David asked.
I was there with twelve men who are learning to share the love of Jesus.
I hadn't thought of it but it was me and my 12 guys. Wow. In the past I have asked the Lord to give me twelve disciples and there I was enjoying life with these twelve men.
We came to celebrate!
We roasted five kilos of steak meat, three chickens, thirty samosas. We also ate ten cup cakes, ten danishes, two bunches of bananas, two boxes of cookies and a crate of sodas.
It was quite a party!
Everyone gave a speech and then we prayed and sang. We were stuffed so it took us a few minutes to be able to get into our songs but then everyone was clapping and smilng and singing.
A few neighbors came to participate. After some more wonderful singing Ronald led us in prayer.
It was amazing.
We were all right before the throne of God.
Days like today make me feel so proud of what the Lord is doing in these mens lives.

Sometimes in the states some of my friends seem to feel sorry for me or can't get over "all that we have sacrificed".
Sure there are relationships that we miss as well as certain foods or stores but days like today make everything worth it.
I actually feel sorry for people who don't get to experience this kind of thing.

I was surrounded by men that I have been privilaged to share Christ with for many years and listen to them ask the Lord to give them thousand of new converts. They want to fill the new land with people praising the Lord!
It is hard for me to explain how I feel ...I can hardly see the computer through the tears in my eyes. These are good tears.
I was going to say the men are growing but that doesn't say it right. We are growing in the Lord.
I am thankful that the Lord has allowed me to be His servant and to do what He asks me to do.

What a great day of celebration!