Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Yesterday we were several miles outside the actual city of Gaborone with the conference president, Strike Ben. He was showing us a property that he would like to purchase for the conference. He wants to make it a conference center that's primarily for the youth. (This guy is a visionary. I love him!) It's several acres and has quite a few existing buildings on it. There are two 10,000 litre water tanks on the property and the buildings have running water already. There's also electricity. AND THEY ONLY WANT $50,000 FOR IT! We prayed over the property that they would acquire it if it's the Lord's will.
On the way out we saw a few things that were quite interesting. One was a beautiful lizard with a blue head that was lying in the windowsill of an abandoned home. But what were most interesting to me were these massive ant hills. The first time I saw one I had no idea that it was an ant hill. My immediate assumption then was that I was about to see some ants that looked like cockroaches! These anthills had to have been the work of giant ants! Some of these anthills were as large as trees! (There's a picture in the album of an anthill.) To my surprise, these anthills are the work of very small ants. And, I am told, that there are some even bigger than those I saw.
Ain't that a trip! Amazing what creatures can do when they decide to work together! This meeting has been an absolute success because the PEOPLE have worked together. There is no way this could have been pulled off by the pastors. Let me tell you why. There's just too much to do!
There are three billboards that are advertising the campaign with my photograph on them because the marketing team got together and did it. I had NOTHING to do with it as the evangelist besides send them the photograph that they requested.
The transportation committee has hired 10 vans and drivers that bring people back and forth to the meetings night after night. Again, I had nothing to do with it. And the team leader is not a pastor. (They have advertising for the meetings on the front of the vans much like SEPTA buses put advertising on the side of their vehicles.)
The prayer warriors meet and pray over every prayer request that is placed in the boxes. They are stationed around the building -- at the door, by the pulpit, throughout the congregation, and in a room called "the boiler room" (a term coined in the 1800s by Pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon). They pray for me before I go up to speak. And they pray again when I come down. She is not a pastor. She is a professional who travels internationally with four children. And she has only missed one night!
I could go on and on about how the Pathfinders go on marches every Sunday morning and distribute flyers. I could tell you about how the health team was taking blood pressures throughout the community for weeks before the meeting began and have continued on the site every night from 4 p.m. 6 p.m. I could tell you about the health lectures that happen nightly that are about more than vegetarianism, but range in practical interest from menopause, to child abuse, to dental care, stress and beyond. The presenters have PowerPoint presentations that accompany their talks. They keep them to less than 15 minutes. And they are a blessing to listen to!
There is a choir that performs every night. The music for this meeting was organized three months before opening night. The steering committee started planning this meeting in August 2007.
Lest you mistakenly assume that there are a bunch of "bush people" running around in thongs around here who have nothing better to do than to hang out at an evangelistic meeting, I should tell you know that my interpreter (co-preacher) is a veterinarian, Dr. Baipoledi. There are government ministers, Ph.D.'s, M.D.'s. The government of Botswana discovered diamonds the year after they got from under British protectorate. Some folk do alright here in Gaborone! But those who have become members of the church have dedicated themselves to fulfilling the purpose of the church -- winning more lost people to Jesus Christ.
I saw that anthill and thought it a fitting image of this evangelistic meeting. And then I remembered the words of the wise man who wrote in Proverbs 6:6, NLT: "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy bones. Learn from their ways and become wise." I'm not crazy about the name-calling ("lazybones," and "sluggard"), but I do like the lesson -- we can do a whole lot, we can accomplish things unimaginable, when we work TOGETHER for the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the way out we saw a few things that were quite interesting. One was a beautiful lizard with a blue head that was lying in the windowsill of an abandoned home. But what were most interesting to me were these massive ant hills. The first time I saw one I had no idea that it was an ant hill. My immediate assumption then was that I was about to see some ants that looked like cockroaches! These anthills had to have been the work of giant ants! Some of these anthills were as large as trees! (There's a picture in the album of an anthill.) To my surprise, these anthills are the work of very small ants. And, I am told, that there are some even bigger than those I saw.
Ain't that a trip! Amazing what creatures can do when they decide to work together! This meeting has been an absolute success because the PEOPLE have worked together. There is no way this could have been pulled off by the pastors. Let me tell you why. There's just too much to do!
There are three billboards that are advertising the campaign with my photograph on them because the marketing team got together and did it. I had NOTHING to do with it as the evangelist besides send them the photograph that they requested.
The transportation committee has hired 10 vans and drivers that bring people back and forth to the meetings night after night. Again, I had nothing to do with it. And the team leader is not a pastor. (They have advertising for the meetings on the front of the vans much like SEPTA buses put advertising on the side of their vehicles.)
The prayer warriors meet and pray over every prayer request that is placed in the boxes. They are stationed around the building -- at the door, by the pulpit, throughout the congregation, and in a room called "the boiler room" (a term coined in the 1800s by Pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon). They pray for me before I go up to speak. And they pray again when I come down. She is not a pastor. She is a professional who travels internationally with four children. And she has only missed one night!
I could go on and on about how the Pathfinders go on marches every Sunday morning and distribute flyers. I could tell you about how the health team was taking blood pressures throughout the community for weeks before the meeting began and have continued on the site every night from 4 p.m. 6 p.m. I could tell you about the health lectures that happen nightly that are about more than vegetarianism, but range in practical interest from menopause, to child abuse, to dental care, stress and beyond. The presenters have PowerPoint presentations that accompany their talks. They keep them to less than 15 minutes. And they are a blessing to listen to!
There is a choir that performs every night. The music for this meeting was organized three months before opening night. The steering committee started planning this meeting in August 2007.
Lest you mistakenly assume that there are a bunch of "bush people" running around in thongs around here who have nothing better to do than to hang out at an evangelistic meeting, I should tell you know that my interpreter (co-preacher) is a veterinarian, Dr. Baipoledi. There are government ministers, Ph.D.'s, M.D.'s. The government of Botswana discovered diamonds the year after they got from under British protectorate. Some folk do alright here in Gaborone! But those who have become members of the church have dedicated themselves to fulfilling the purpose of the church -- winning more lost people to Jesus Christ.
I saw that anthill and thought it a fitting image of this evangelistic meeting. And then I remembered the words of the wise man who wrote in Proverbs 6:6, NLT: "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy bones. Learn from their ways and become wise." I'm not crazy about the name-calling ("lazybones," and "sluggard"), but I do like the lesson -- we can do a whole lot, we can accomplish things unimaginable, when we work TOGETHER for the Lord Jesus Christ.
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