Hello Friends,
I wanted to write you a quick note to share with you about a situation yesterday morning. Around 10:00 my neighbor Christopher came over with someone I did not recognize. Christopher is a college student on break and is a devoted Christian.
We sat on our porch and Christopher's friend introduced himself as Richard. He rides boda-boda (bicycle taxi) for a living and is a friend to Christopher. He is probably in his late thirties, missing some teeth, and frail. He began to tell me of his struggle with alcohol and smoking that consumed 75% of his income. His wife had left him five years ago because of his addiction, leaving him with his two sons who are now 12 and 17 years old. He told of how he had tried to break the habit many times but failed.
I shared with him about the power of the sinful nature and how it can bring a man into slavery. I told him that there is only one power that is superior to the power of the sinful nature and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. He was very eager to confess his sins to God and repent of his sinful lifestyle. I have never seen a man so ready to be saved! He was completely broken and weary of the consequences of sin in his life. He came to Bible study in the evening and said he had declared his new faith to his fellow boda-boda men and had declined their invitations to drink and smoke with them. I asked him how he was feeling after not smoking for most of that day and he said that he was feeling fine (a miracle, I think!). Please pray for Richard as he will likely be facing some real temptations in these early hours of his conversion. He told me that his two sons had gotten saved some time back and that they will be very excited to hear about the change in their father.
Also pray for the other boda-bodas on our corner. Those men tend not to have the best reputations and they would sure benefit from a moving of conviction from the Holy Spirit. We are also praying that this might serve as a breath of spiritual life in our congregation here in Jinja as new believers tend to have such excitement. May God bless you all and thanks for praying for the lost in Uganda!
Nate
P.S. Please remember Del Palmer and Kevin Olson as they arrive here on Sunday.
