overflow room

Wow, God is absolutely amazing! This Friday afternoon we had our first women’s bible study in the slums of Shimo.  This is something we have wanted to do for some time and today was the start of something truly great!  We had mentioned the idea to our friend Anne, a resident of Shimo, who immediately took interest in making this happen.  In fact, we were visiting families in Shimo a few days ago when Anne asked why we hadn’t come to the bible study last Friday.  Apparently she had already organized a group of women that wanted to hear us share the word of God.  I couldn’t believe it! God is working in this community so fast and we are just trying to keep up with him!  I love it. 

So today at 2 p.m. we met in Anne’s tiny, one-room house.  When we arrived there were already several women gathered, but as we moved into her house to begin the bible study women came from all directions—some old, some young, some carrying bibles, some carrying babies.  The room, which can’t be any bigger than 150 square feet, was filled with loud songs of praise as we worshiped the Lord together.  Throughout the bible study, women continued to fill the house until there was no room left inside.  At one point I counted 35 women and at least a dozen children piled onto chairs, benches and the dirt floor.  It didn’t matter that there was scarcely room to breath or that sweat was seeping through our clothes, these women were so excited to be experiencing God’s word.  Before dispersing, we held hands and prayed together—a beautiful picture of women, from all walks of life, coming together before the Lord.  As we exited the house we saw that more women, at least 20 of them, had been sitting around the perimeter of the house listening in!  These women were so intrigued by the Holy Spirit that they didn’t need an overflow room like we have at most churches back home.  There were no comfy chairs, no television monitor broadcasting our talk, no coffee or snacks.  There was just God’s word.  And these women had come to hear what He had to say.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will awaken in this place and that the women of Shimo will come to know and exemplify God’s love.