Scary but Normal...

Satanic opposition, yes indeed this is what has been happing since the Lord has called us here to walk out his plans for his beautiful people in Rwanda. Some one once told me that you know you must be on track when Satan is doing every thing he can to stop you. Well Praise God!!!

I can’t help myself I must name a few, in order for you to get the full picture…

1. Two and half years with out neither visas nor having our organization registered. (still on going…)
2. A season of extreme financial trouble!!! (by season, I mean months)

3. A season of extreme sickness (every one in our family)!!!

4. Constant vehicle trouble, almost literally with every trip to see our kids in Rwaza, either on the way or on the back the vehicle would break down. (Going on 6months now… Is that normal???)
Did I mention that we go up at least once per week... You can do the math...

5. Not to long ago a very good friend of ours contacted us and told us that she was praying for us and wanted to warn us about another attack she believed that we would soon be seeing… She told us Satan has been trying every thing he can to get to us and thus far has not had any success. From finances to attacking our family with sickness and now the next would be an attack on our marriage, little did she know we had already entered it!
Her message could have not come at a better time!! Astrid and I saw this as a perfect opportunity to stop Satan from what ever he has trying to do to us… We sat down that night and talked and talked cried and cried, then rejoiced together as we had just finished with another season of attack and did not fall…

6. A while back I wrote about the shaking hands with the witch…. Hold that thought…. The last three weeks we have been taking a mission team from YWAM Hawaii (Youth with A Mission) with us to Rwaza to see our kids. They have been putting on a VBS (Vacation Bible School) for the kids every Saturday for a month.
You will never guess who shows up on the third week…. Yes the Witch!!!
I saw her coming up the walk way to the building where the team and the children are having the program.Quickly I told all the team so they were aware of what was happening. One of the girls with YWAM Rwanda and I went out to greet her and block the door of the entrance. She was very bouncy and smiley, laughing and blabbering some thing. She took my hand and staring into my eyes began blabbering…. The Rwandan girl turned to me and said “what is she saying she is not speaking Kinyarwandan or any language I know”? I told her that the old woman was chanting and trying to cast spells, it was very obvious.
I turned and looked the old witch in the eyes saying “Mukecheru (old woman) I rebuke you in the name of the Lord Jesus!!!”
Immediately she jerked her hand away shouting Oya (NO)…. We told her that we and the children were busy at the moment so she could not come in but would have to leave. Smiling and blabbering away she turned and walked away.

What was it that God’s word says about Consider it pure joy brothers when you go through hardship/ opposition, for God is treating you as sons. It is not pleasant at the time but painful, yet for those who endure, it will produce a harvest of righteousness in their lives.

All this said, God must know what he is doing!!!

Its scary... But hey it’s normal right…..

Table and D.U.I

For those that have not heard over the new year God blessed us with a wonderful, much needed office space. We are very excited, as now we can keep work, work and home, home….. It’s a small three bedroom house, in a prime location, close to public transport and even with in walking distance from our house. Praise God!!
Much of the month of Jan. we spent cleaning, painting and setting it up. I must say it is really looking good and we feel good about it.
One of the last pieces of office furniture we really needed was a very large table. We are turning the master room into a conference room. I went down to the local (Fundi) carpenter and explained what we needed then negotiated for a good price. All said and done we would be getting our 3m X 1.5m (6ft X 5ft) table in about two weeks time for $200.

It came time to pick it up, so I went down checked it out to make sure it was exactly what I ordered. It looked great! They had to make it in two pieces due to its size and being able to get it into the back room.
I watched as they loaded it into the back of the truck then we headed out. They were going to follow me to the office. About half way to the office I noticed in my rear view mirror the guy was all over the road. I thought to my self, man this guy is either a sucky driver or he is drunk. I began to pray, God please let us make it to the office.The next thing I know the truck is pulled over by a police man on a motor bike. Low and behold the driver was wasted and was in the process of being arrested for D.U.I (driving under the influence). The truck is now going to impounded with everything in it..
I went to the police man praying that he would understand English as I tried to explain to him that the table in the truck was mine and that I had no idea that the driver was drunk. After talking to him for a while I was able to convince him to not confiscate the table but only the truck.
With some help of the locals around enjoying the show being put on by the old drunk Muzee (old man) we removed the table from the truck.Speaking with one of the guys there he told me not to worry, he would phone some one and get another truck to come to take the table the rest of the way.

So there I sat on the side of the main road with my huge table, legs dangling down as the public skeptical for the next 45+min. What could I do?? Get angry? Cry?? I just laughed… thinking, wondering, what is going through every bodies mind… After all it is not every day that you see a Muzungu (white person) just hanging out with furniture on the side of the road in Rwanda.