The Lord's Day in Balaah

We wake up to rain again. Peter wonders whether this will affect attendance at church, but it turns out to be mostly a drizzle that ends before we leave.

The church is a corrugated tin roof supported by poles. No walls. As we arrive about 100 women and children have begun to sing. These are beautiful melodies made the more lovely as the are sung with all earnestness. The men are not so much into the singing. But they listen attentively and some of them at least try to sing along. The singing continues for about half an hour, and then the children are dismissed for Sunday School. Peter translates while I preach on The Four “Musts” of John 3-4: (1) Ye must be born again, (2) As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, (3) I must decrease, but he must increase, and (4) they that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. It is well received, especially by the one elder who was the champion marble player. He greets me afterward and gives me a sincere thank you with his eyes. Peter informs me that he was in great pain during the sermon, almost fainting at one point due to the problems with his stomach cancer.

We move back to the Primary School where I have a doctrine class with Joseph, Mindaye, Sammi, David, and Philip. I review chapters 1-19 of the Confession again for the sake of the others. Joseph does not mind and listens attentively the second time. We continue on through the end of the Confession, and then it is time for a late lunch, which I think these men have been waiting for for some time.

Back to Kimogol again and another quiet evening. It is quite a bit cooler tonight, so we decide to sleep inside.