It requires

so much to do church in America. For instance, we dare not try to do church

without padded pews. We, of course, must have air conditioning. Childcare

is a requirement. Mamas should not have to expect that their children

be quiet during the service.

One of the

priorities would be a sound system that, by the way, never works properly.

Even if we just have 25 or 30 in church, we have to have that microphone

on! Oh yes, carpet on the floor and sterile restrooms. Then, as the church

grows, other things become necessities: electronic keyboard, church van

or bus, fully-equipped kitchen which we will use once a month. We just

"gotta" have all these things.

Then, we must

have a song leader, a youth director, and an education minister all paid

so as to relieve us of the responsibility of the work of the church.

I find myself

ministering in a different sort of church here in Uganda. My thinking

about what doing church requires is all changed by seeing what you can

do church without. I see churches vibrant and alive that have no electricity.

So, an electronic keyboard would be of no good. I am in churches without

air conditioning and even without funeral home fans. The pews are not

padded; in fact, they are not pews. They are benches that are about ankle

length off the ground. Worshippers sit on them while preachers preach

at times for more than an hour. In fact, the folks are a little upset

if the preacher has less than an hour of content to deliver. In America,

our folks get upset if we have more than half an hour.

As you read

this column, I am in the heart of Africa a place that a boy from southwest

Georgia would hardly think he would end up. The truth is that, if allowed,

God will take us places we never dreamed. Even in his wildest dreams,

Joseph never dreamed he would end up in Africa saving the people of God

from famine in order to be the pipeline for God's great redemptive purpose

in Jesus Christ.

Today, June

8, I conducted a marriage conference for believers from two divergent

congregations. It blessed me that I could participate in bringing a Pentecostal

congregation together with an Anglican congregation for the purpose of

strengthening of their marriages. The Lord has revealed to me that marriage

issues are the same regardless of the culture and that the Word of God

has answers and principles applicable regardless of the culture.

As I was making

the presentation today regarding the need for husbands to provide affection

for their wives, one believer who happened to be an attorney stood to

say that he did not think it was so in the Ugandan culture. He said Ugandan

women did not want to be told of their husbands' love often. Well, I wish

you could have heard the women respond to this man. He went from sitting

on the front row to the back of the meeting. Women are alike. They need

and want affection from their husbands.

This afternoon,

my daughter, Anna, is ministering to Ugandan youth and teaching on the

subject of obedience and blessings. She holds their attention without

any problem. This is first time that these particular African young people

have heard from a white American teenager. She represents her Savior,

church, and country very well. I am proud of her.

So, thank you

for praying for us and keep your prayers going. We want to be used by

the Lord Jesus Christ and come