Camping With the Choir

Language learning is coming along, withs lots of hard work, and being in the choir has helped with that and also opened up different opportunities for getting to know people, as well as different experiences.

One weekend I joined the choir at revival meetings in a village in the bush about 6km from here. I packed a change of clothes and a couple of blankets and headed out with a couple of friends on the long hike to the church. We took our time; singing and chatting as we walked. A couple of hours later we arrived and it was time for the evening service.

Things were running as usual: one hour late with two hours of singing before the message; after which I started dozing so I headed off to bed with a couple other girls from the choir. In a grass enclosure attached to the side of the church, we laid down on a tarp and snuggled in under some blankets. A chill had set in before sunset and we were thankful for protection from the wind. Laying on the hard ground, listening to the service, I watched shooting stars in the crystal clear sky and finally drifted off to sleep.

First a crash, then some screams! I sat straight up from sleep at the comotion going on just beside us in the church. With more screams and noise, people went running out of the church in the caos. People were running around the church yelling for what seemed like a very long time. Then a man in light clothing came in the wind break. He was walking very strangely until he spotted us, ran over and grabbed the back of my neck. He wasn't hurting me, but he wouldn't let go. Pulling and struggling to get his hands off me, I continued to fight him while he spoke something I couldn't understand. Finally, he let go and walked out. At some point during my struggle, those who were with me had run in the church because they were also frightened. Too afraid to leave the shelter, even long enough to enter the church, I sat wrapped in my blanket praying until things, both around me and in the church, calmed down. Reassured by the sound of a few people walking and praying around the church, I laid back down and continued praying, watching the shooting stars again until the service ended around 2 am.

With the events of the night, the hard ground, and being squeezed by two people on either side (5 of us shared one blanket), sleep came on and off through the night. I was so relieved at the sun rise!

I later learned that, during the service at about midnight, 3 known satanists showed up at the back of the church and started the chaos. Benches were broken as people ran after seeing the demons in the church around the 3 new attendees. Once the church leaders regrouped everyone and began to pray, the satanists left and things calmed down. As the service continued, people were delivered from demon possession and gave their lives to Jesus.

For me, that experience was a reality check; that when we do anything to take Satan's territory, he is going to fight back. Satan is very real and that night he tried to disperse our service, which he almost succeeded. If the church hadn't fought back with prayer, people wouldn't have been deliver and redeemed.

I learned a lot about the spiritual battle going on in our world and also about the power of prayer. I thank God for His protection, that He has already overcome the evil one and we are more than conquorers in Christ.

Please continue to pray for the church here in Zambia. They face this kind of opposition often as they work to reach people with the good news of Christ. Pray for power, protection, and that people would continue to hear about and know Jesus.