This is my second attempt  to write a blog entry today.  After I had completed about 1,000 words, I pressed the button to publish it and the internet had dropped out and I lost the lot.  This is life in Africa.  Yesterday as we were waiting for dinner to be ready about 8:30pm, the power suddenly went of and we were totally in the dark.  And dark is very real here.  No street lights to add a little general light to help. This power drop-out also happens as part of the ongoing difficulties with internet connection.

Our departure for Tarkwa on 25/9 was delayed from 8:30 until 11am.  TIA.  This is Africa.  What was particularly good about it, though, was that the previous night’s journey in the dark coming back from Kambi ya Nyasa was safe.  We could have had a dangerous blow-out of the tyre and been stranded in a ditch somewhere, but the tyre went down gracefully overnight as it sat in the mission house garage.  Ian’s blog tells what happened on the first day – suffice it to say that after teaching on the person of the Holy Spirit, Ian called people forward for infilling of the Spirit and about 75 came forward.  The one I ended up praying for started to manifest a demon and it was not easy to get it out, so we asked her to come back the next day.  

That morning, I taught on “Forgiveness”.  Anne had had a word of knowledge the previous day that indicated that the reason why the woman could not get free was because she needed to forgive someone.  Her unforgiveness was giving Satan a legal right to afflict her.  She had bad headaches and stomach pains, following typhoid and stomach ulcers from the typhoid medication.

The talk on forgiveness was revamped late at night after Ian had fallen asleep – a complete reversal of roles :-)  I was very chuffed when Lindy complimented me on the talk.  She has a doctorate in teaching.  After the talk, there were lots of questions to field and by the grace of God I was able to answer them.  Another team member told me afterwards what important things I had missed out when answering them.  I could only say that time had been limited and also, my expertise in these matters is limited :-)

The following talk was on healing and Anne, I, Peter (translating) and her pastor took the young woman aside to see if we could effect the deliverance.  Anne produced Derek Prince’s 7 steps to self-deliverance, so I based the deliverance loosely on these and they were extremely effective, combined with Anne’s contribution of words of knowledge.  Anne was suffering from the “team cold bug” so I was doing the upfront stuff.  The woman came free no trouble at all this time.  There was no need for shouting or upset.

Afterwards, we rejoined the conference and helped pray for healing.  There had been a big line of people coming up for healing.  There was a blind man with weeping eyes who also had a troublesome shoulder.  He could not lift his arm up high.  The shoulder came free of pain very quickly, but the eyes were more resistant to healing.  However, I noticed the following day that the weeping had stopped.  His cataract was not altered as far as I know.

We included the kids in praying for healing and they caught on slowly.  I don’’t think they are normally included in adult stuff except to be quiet and sit still while it goes on.

After lunch at 3:00pm, Ian gave a short talk to the local pastors on an approach to deliverance.  They had received a model of exorcism that was not very helpful as far as we could see – just hammer, hammer, hammer away and hope that the demon gets sick of it.

Ian carefully went over it, explained their authority in Christ and particularly went over the reasons for the steps we had used in today’s exorcism.  We hope they will be able to remember and use what he taught.

Yesterday was a much-needed rest day.  The previous day had been intended as a rest day too, but we spent it trudging into town in the heat to look for material for a proper Tanzanian outfit.  I wanted to patronise the local tailor as well.  We found a nice piece of fabric at last , then went past the local dairy (did I say past? - slight inaccuracy there - we bought ice creams!)  :-)  

Then was the visit to the tailor.  SURPRISE!  I knew him!  He was the sewing teacher at the Sewing School at the Cathedral whom I had met the previous year.  So there was a joyous reunion, plus a bonus of meeting the pastor of Berecko church, whose church we had visited on the way down to Kondoa last time.  More joyous reunion.

So the next challenge was communicating with the tailor what style of outfit I wanted.  Fortunately, Sabrina (Englishwoman on Cathedral staff) was wearing just what I wanted to have made up.  So she, speaking Swahili, told them what I wanted, which included godets instead of a split at the back.

The next day was more of a real rest, with a team meeting lasting until 12.30, then a rest until lunch at 3:20pm!!  Meals seem to be far later here than at home.  During lunch, we found out that one of the cooks had a husband sick at home with malaria that was not responding to the usual malaria drugs.  so we offered to pray for him.  Off we trudged in the heat up a hill.  Walking past lots of new houses being built, with the typical steep roof and plaster over brick, we finally reached the house.  I had been getting tired and hot and grumpy thinking, "THis was supposed to be a rest day!"  So I said to the Lord, "Please forgive my bad attitude and use me as you used robbie Dawkins when he had a bad attitude."  And so it was.  We commanded the headache to go and it went.  Then he said he had pains all over his back.  It took longert to shift these, but the pain level went down from 10 to 2.  THen Anne attacked the fever and the sweat on his brow disappeared and he started to feel much better.  Praise the Lord!  A first in successful prayer for malaria.