Thursday 14th May - Joyce
In our 33 years of service in Africa there have been many experiences which Eric and I have either enjoyed, or endured but each, in their own way, have been a source of encouragement, teaching and proof that God is good all of the time, and all of the time God is good. It may take a while for it to fall into place, but fall into place it most surely does. A couple of experiences from our time in Nigeria and Uganda came to mind and I’d like to share them with you.
Gratitude:
The Salvation Army in Nigeria have a Children’s Home and a Rehabilitation Centre for disabled children at a place called Oji River. The moto of the home is CRAWL IN & WALK OUT.
On one of our visits to the Children’s Home at Oji River (to get there we had to ford the river on foot) we were met with a very irate Nigerian businessman who was complaining loud and long to the Captain who had written to tell him that his son, a cripple from birth, was ready to go home. “Impossible”, said the father, “my son has never walked, and he is now 8 years old surely he cannot walk now”.
“Come with me” answered the Captain, and together we stood and watched as the children came out of school, swinging on their crutches and wearing calipers. Here was the son of the angry father upright for the first time. Anger and frustration turned to tears of joy as the father greeted his little son.
On one of our visits to the Children’s Home at Oji River (to get there we had to ford the river on foot) we were met with a very irate Nigerian businessman who was complaining loud and long to the Captain who had written to tell him that his son, a cripple from birth, was ready to go home. “Impossible”, said the father, “my son has never walked, and he is now 8 years old surely he cannot walk now”.
“Come with me” answered the Captain, and together we stood and watched as the children came out of school, swinging on their crutches and wearing calipers. Here was the son of the angry father upright for the first time. Anger and frustration turned to tears of joy as the father greeted his little son.
Oji River Children's Home and Rehabilitation Centre.
On another occasion we were visiting a small corps (Salvation Army church) situated on Badagary Beach. Here we found Fredrick.
Walking through the village I saw movement in a very dark hut, thinking that it was a dog, to my surprise I found it was a very small boy, he was the son of the Sergeant Major in charge of the small corps.
Fredrick could not stand he had developed a sickness the father told us. We tried to persuade his parents to let us take him to the Oji River Rehabilitation Centre where he would have treatment at the nearby Enugu Hospital. This was a big challenge for them, to them it sounded like having to travel hundreds of miles, and so it was, eventually we took Fredrick and his father to the Home, where, after some time, and an operation at the hospital and the wonderful care of the Officers, he was able to stand upright he was fitted with callipers and crutches. After some months we took Fredrick home, as soon as his mother saw him walking for the first time, she just shouted HALLELUJAH!
Walking through the village I saw movement in a very dark hut, thinking that it was a dog, to my surprise I found it was a very small boy, he was the son of the Sergeant Major in charge of the small corps.
Fredrick could not stand he had developed a sickness the father told us. We tried to persuade his parents to let us take him to the Oji River Rehabilitation Centre where he would have treatment at the nearby Enugu Hospital. This was a big challenge for them, to them it sounded like having to travel hundreds of miles, and so it was, eventually we took Fredrick and his father to the Home, where, after some time, and an operation at the hospital and the wonderful care of the Officers, he was able to stand upright he was fitted with callipers and crutches. After some months we took Fredrick home, as soon as his mother saw him walking for the first time, she just shouted HALLELUJAH!
Sanctuary:
On another occassion, this time in Uganda in the mid 1960's we were on a safari (journey) to a remote Salvation Army Corps (church). We had with us a Ugandan Salvation Army Officer, Major Itetwe, he was with us as our interpreter. We had been looking for a place to stop for lunch, and comfort break for some time but the terrain was not kind and not offering any shade. Finding a quiet, safe place had been difficult, eventually we saw a large tree just off the road, we pulled over. I got the table cloth out and laid it on the bonnet of the car and Major Itetwe went off for a walk. After some time he returned and asked, "What is the meaning of the word sanctuary?"
We were surprised at the question, and after explaining to him what sanctuary meant, he asked, "Why is it also linked with the word danger?" We asked where he had seen these words and he explained that the words were on a sign nailed on the tree - “DANGER ELEPHANT SANCTUARY” so not a place of safety for us at that moment. Looking around we could see what we thought were large rocks, until one moved around we could see the trunk swinging about. Needless to say we quickly scooped up the table cloth and set off in the car and on our way to visit the new corps.
Be careful where you find your sanctuary.
Psalm 91 verse 1 says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the host high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
Forgiveness:
As part of the journey mentioned above we were going to visit a potential new Salvation Army Corps in Uganda. We had to travel over particularly rough roads in quite a barren area with very little habitation, we were going to a village where a man called Noah had returned to live after spending quite some time in Tororo Prison. During his time in prison he had been visited by the Officer from Tororo Corps and Noah had found the Lord and been saved. He went back to his home village. He was very distressed when he returned home because the village church members would not welcome him into the fellowship. Noah wrote to us in Kampala, the capitol of Uganda and where the headquarters were situated, asking us to send an officer to help him start the Salvation Army, so we decided to visit Noah and to see if we could open a corps there. It was Sunday so we went to the church, only to find that we had to prove to the congregation that we too were saved. Eric was asked to preach, he agreed only if Noah was allowed to come in. Eric preached, and yes Noah was in the congregation. After the service we were entertained by the head-man of the village who was a Muslim, we had a lovely meal served by his 'favourite' wife, then he said “I do not know anything about your religion, but I do know that Noah is not the same man who went to Prison He is welcome back home” The Muslim gentleman recognised the change in Noah, but the small Church congregation did not!!
God forgives and forgets, Hebrews 10:16 says; "....Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." and we the chorus of song 460 in The Salvation Army Songbook goes:
No more! No more!
He remembers sins no more,
They are pardoned for ever,
And He will never
Bring them up against me any more.
I'll hear no more
Of the evil days of yore;
I'm a pardoned offender,
And God will remember them no more.
Be careful who and how you judge.
God forgives and forgets, Hebrews 10:16 says; "....Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." and we the chorus of song 460 in The Salvation Army Songbook goes:
No more! No more!
He remembers sins no more,
They are pardoned for ever,
And He will never
Bring them up against me any more.
I'll hear no more
Of the evil days of yore;
I'm a pardoned offender,
And God will remember them no more.
Be careful who and how you judge.
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I've Been Changed: Portsmouth Citadel SongstersThe words of the chorus are:
I’ve been changed, I’ve been new born; All my life has been rearranged. What a difference it made When the Lord came and stayed in my heart; O yes, I’ve been changed. |