A week of working with Entebbe Presbyterian;7/16-7/21

Spent one week working with a Presbyterian church in Entebbe, which is a little south of Kampala. Each morning we would drive 40 minutes from the Eby's house (where we live) down to the shores of lake Victoria, where the town sits. We met up with Pastor Milton and deacon Charles (see photo) every morning, and visited homes in the community all around the church, sharing the gospel when people were open to listen. What stood out to me throughout our time was the sincere love that Pastor Milton had for his congregation and the people of the community. Here's a journal entry from the week:

July 19
Again, a sweet day of proclaiming the gospel in Entebbe. It is always a struggle of the will to go out and exert the energy of preaching to total strangers who are also foreigners - and yet, what a joy to begin to connect with people - to see the dawning of understanding - comprehension of sin and the need for a savior. Even the simple connections of common man - humans of different nationalities understanding each others' expressions, feelings, and experiences. Felt this particularly among a group of men today after preaching the gospel intently for some time. We connected on a very human level, exchanging smiles and handshakes, while they laughed at my attempts at Lugandan. "Oli Otya...Balungi...jaybole sebo....chagomba cha Katonda..."
That time of preaching with the men in the hut was very providential. There initially were only 4 men in the hut. By the end it was 8 or 10. I began by speaking about the law of God as revealed in the 10 commandments. The Lord had placed a self righteous man among the group who was convinced he was good enough for God because he had kept God's law. Even when I said, "you mean to tell me you have never lusted, been angry or self centered, hated another person, and have always loved the Lord you God with every ounce of your strength?" - he would not concede. Although the the man was stubborn, the reality of sin and the need for the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone was made the more clear I believe, thanks to the orchestration from the Lord.
Two other things were providential. At a certain moment in the conversation, the stubborn man pulled a nail out of a bag he will fiddling with. It was a large steel nail, maybe 5 or 6 inches long. He then set it down on the table, not too far from me. I took this as a cue from the Holy Spirit that now was the moment for me to proclaim the cross of Christ, using the nail to demonstrate how a man's hands were pinned to a Roman cross. I think the Lord used this to give understanding. Another act of providence was when a drunk stumbled into the hut, making a disturbance. This was right at the moment of the explanation of receiving the gift of God by faith. It has been interesting over my time here to see how distractions come time and time again at this very moment in the explanation of the gospel. In fact, it is something I have come to expect. So in light of this, I used the opportunity to explain how Satan does everything he can to silence or confuse the understanding of the most important message - the gospel. In a culture steeped in witchcraft, this is not written off as it might be in the West. I then proceeded to explain how grace is received - by faith - like holding out our hands to receive a free gift.
What was so encouraging about this time was the Spirit's provision in enabling me with freedom, boldness, and clarity. I do not know the effect in hearts, but I am confident that the word of God went forth.