The "Hissy Fit"

The trip had gone well.

The sun blazed each day.

It had been hot, dusty, and challenging.

God had allowed us to work with Him in many ways among the Maasai in the area of Engaresero.

The "Massai olympic games" had gone well with over 70 men participating.

They heard the Word of God through teaching and sharing.

The Sunday worship time was a great and uplifting time

Some became new believers.

Others believers were baptized, demonstrating their new faith through this mode of testimony.

Our last day there was one of rest, reflection, evaluation, and planning for the next trip.

Then it began.

The wind increased dramatically in intensity.

The clouds in the distance became dark and ominous.

They were filled with dust as well as rain.

We had seen this before -- the rain falls and hits the parched, dusty earth, causing the dust to rise up into the clouds.

You have a dust/rain storm.

This storm was different.

The clouds were so thick that they obliterated the landscape.

Visibility was only a few hundred feet.

The horizon disappeared from our site.

Oldonyo Lengai (the Mountain of God - to the Maasai) was no longer visible from our campsite only 10 kilometers away.

Our tents began to sway and pitch as the storm increased, driving the dust and seeming rain in our direction.

We were in the direct path of this natural occurrence.

Then the storm hit our camp.

Heavy winds shook our tents and dumped dust and sand into the camp.

We sought shelter in a dining hut and watched as this storm came, stayed, and then eventually left.

Not one drop of rain fell on the camp.

The tents still stood.

No one was hurt.

After this storm passed, one person commented that "we had a great trip, saw God work in various ways in the lives of the people we were allowed to impact, and saw Him reap a harvest for His Kingdom.  Satan was so mad that he through a "hissy fit" to try and discourage us on the last day.  God protected us.  Satan did not achieve his desired results".

When Satan throws a "hissy fit" in your life,  remember that you are standing on the Rock of Ages.

As one song states "You (God) are my Rock, on you I stand, safe from the storms that surround me.  You're my only Rock, on You I stand, don't have to rely on my own strength."

(Hillsong London   Shout God's Fame)

The Man Who Prays for Us is Here

One of the stops we make with our volunteer teams is Cultural Heritage in Arusha Tanzania.  This is a place where one can buy carvings, paintings, shirts, blown glass, jewelry, Tanzanite, etc.  It is a "one stop shopping place" for all your souvenir needs.  There is also a cafe which serves food varying from coffee and tea to small snacks to a full lunch buffet.

On a recent trip, we went to Cultural Heritage for shopping and lunch.  I make reservations in advance so they will be prepared for our groups.

On this day, the lunch was superb as usual.  We went and thanked the cooks and the managers for another meal well done.

The head manager thanked us and then proceeded to tell me about his current problem situation.  A group of 28 had come in and ate at the buffet.  The problem was that they ate without his prior permission and without a prior reservation.  Then our group of 16 ate our meal.  Another group of 20 was following us. They had made advance reservations.  He was very concerned that he did not have enough food for the last group.  The leader of the first group was "apologizing" to the manager for this inconvenience while I stood and listened.  The manager then proceeded to tell that leader that there was no problem because "the man who prays for us is standing here.  He prays and God works out our problems and difficulties.  He is from the church and he knows God and God knows him".

How do you respond to that statement?

With humbled silence and gratefulness to God!

The other group leader left in disgrace.

The manager and the owners of this establishment follow another world religion.

How humbling it is to have God recognized working in your life by other people.

This also demonstrates the importance of building relationships.

Perhaps one day this whole family will have the relationship with God Whom I know and Who knows me.