If it Seems We are CRAZY!

June 2/3 2012,

Saturday and Sunday night, we held a crusade near the Korogocho slums that we visited Saturday morning.  When we arrived (and hour and a half late!), there was a massive stage set up with decrepit wood covering a metal frame nearly 5 feet off the ground complete with the praise team dancing to the deep rhythms of African praise music.  There were nearly 2000 people in attendance each night, which was an amazing sight to see!  While the men were ushered up on stage as the guest speakers, the women were instructed to stay in a group near the far edge of the crowd to minimize the risk of anyone attacking us.  It was humbling to realize that our mere presence encouraged a larger crowd but it also put the weight of protecting us on Pastor Tom’s men, who inconspicuously surrounded us.  It was interesting to later hear Gerald’s take on the wall surrounding us women and the kids we were dancing with- he likened it to how God protects us from the dangers of this world, often without our knowing.  We probably didn’t know what a risk it was to have us out there, as the following evening, we were no longer allowed to be in the crowd at all for our safety.  It makes me think of the times God’s steered me clear of danger (when the Maoists wanted to overthrow our bus in Nepal, when He rescheduled my flight out for a day before the Maoists took over Nepal…) when there’s no way I could have known to protect myself.  What a great God we serve!

Each night, there was a short message given after a few hours of worship!  The first night, Zach preached, giving a clear call to those who had never met Jesus before!  It was so neat to see him preach with such excitement and joy in telling a desperate generation about a gracious God, waiting to embrace them!  Pastor David preached the next day, giving a clear and concise presentation of the Gospel, backed with power and authority.  At the end of each of their messages, an invitation was given to come to the front to be prayed over for salvation or anything else that may have been troubling people.  This was the only time we were allowed to go into the crowd as we wove our way from person to person, praying over the needs we understood and God’s grace over all the rest!  Between the two nights, we’re estimating that nearly 150 people came to know the Lord, with hundreds of others prayed over!

As if that wasn’t enough to end the night, both nights ended with a crazy loud, excited African dance party, celebrating the new souls that will be in heaven because of the faithfulness of Pastor Tom and those he’s touched!  All of us “Mzungu’s” joined the true dancers on stage, trying desperately to find the rhythm and to learn the steps!  We laughed, shouted and made complete fools of ourselves, but all in the name of praising our God!  The verse that struck me as the summation of the nights is from Second Corinthians, “If it seems that we are crazy, it is to bring Glory to God!  If we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit!”