Friday, November 13: We just finished two great
days here in this massive city. The smog/fog was really bad today. You could
only see about a half mile this morning, and this afternoon when we came back
to the hotel around 5pm you could look straight into the sun it was so hazy. We
hit a massive traffic jam on the way back. There is a large political
convention with tents stretching for acres and people arriving in trucks filled
to the brim. Arlene and I both got a bit carsick from all the starting and
stopping. It took almost an extra hour to get home.
The group of shepherds we met with were great. They
were very educated and grasped our teaching quickly. The leader we are working
with was a part time translator in the last group we taught. We had no idea how
significant a man he is. He seems to run in the highest circles of both
religious and political arenas. He recently organized a large “petition”
meeting of believers that had 10,000 in attendance. Leaders of a couple of
large “organizations” and some high up military and political men attended our meetings.
The three of us teaching wondered why in the world we were included in such a
prestigious group. The potential for organizing and teaching a large number in
the city is great.
As I sat in the morning taking in the atmosphere
as the men worshipped, I was able more than usual to just close my eyes and
enjoy the event. The music is odd to my ears and I don’t understand a word, but
with my eyes closed, I just enjoyed the sound that I presumed God was enjoying.
It makes me sad about all the worship wars in the US. Worship can really be
strange to our ears and cultural sensitivities and still be beautiful to
God.
Edie and Arlene, our daughter, had a great time
with the ladies. They were so serious and eager to learn and fun to be with. One
mentioned that she had never heard anyone teach like Edie and hoped she could
teach that way, too. We all had a good laugh as one of the men said he had
heard many Americans and had never heard anyone teach like me. The problem was
that I didn’t really teach much at all, just led a discussion about
observation, the highlight of which was my helping them see the word “but” in
the passage. I think in the end they see that we respect them and count them as
equals and engage them with more than lectures, something it seems is rare for
Americans.
On to a new city with new adventures tomorrow. One
thing we can say, we do not lead a boring life.
Al
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