Report 3: Visiting Bro. Joseph, Thursday, February 10

Before we left the orphanage, we opened up the curriculum and library books we had purchased and brought so that the staff could organize and record them all.

It was a joy to watch them exclaim over the textbooks. They told me that many of these books they have done without for a long time.

Since Matthew was able to accompany us on our day trip and we were using the same car, Matthew took the drivers place today.

Bro Joseph keeps around 16 orphans in his home. He also runs a primary school.

 All of the students were brought into the chapel for children's meeting. Our lesson was about Jesus Calming the Storm. The memory verse was was in Swahili since the children are too young to speak English. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." Bro. Peter did all of the translating for us.

After the lesson, we went out into the yard by the school and made several circles. We used paper boats on a sheet to reinforce the story. The children held the edges of the sheet and shook it reinacting the stormy ocean. Next, we brought children onto the sheet (boat) and had them to reinact the story as well.

Lastly, we created our own storm by making sounds in sequence: rubbing palms, snapping fingers, slapping thighs and stomping feet. We passed out suckers for treats.

We left a few school supplies and some children's bibles for the school.

The women prepared lunch in the cooking pit.

Chicken, I think?

Group picture of all the children after our special meeting together.

We brought 20 bibles which we gave to the young people in attendance.

We were served lunch and afterward had a general afternoon service together. Michael preached on Going Forward and experiencing the gift of the Holy Spirit. He expounded that our experience with God is more than a series of starts and restarts, but that the Lord has an experience of victory for us so that we can go forward and be a light to the world. He also brought out that the Holy Spirit will only come to a clean vessel that is free from sin. During the altar call, several came forward to pray for their sins to be forgiven. One sister came to receive the Holy Spirit. What a joy it was to lay hands on her and ask God to send her this gift.

The little babies worked their way into our hearts.

Nicole held this little one all through service.

After we returned to the orphanage, we prepared for the Children's meetings that would begin the next morning. Ministers were starting to arrive at the orphanage also to attend the ministers meetings that would begin.