The Story of Joseph and Moses

The internet has been such a problem for me, since I have been in Uganda. I have been working on getting a modem for my laptop installed so I can receive the internet from where I am staying because it is just so much more convenient and would be accessible for me at any time. This has not been an easy task; in fact it is very difficult to even know where to begin to explain it, because the problems were definitely related to anything that pertains to the Lord’s work. I know the Lord will soon prevail. It is all about timing, but certainly not in ours. For this story I am telling proves that the Lord is ultimately in control. Here is how God deals with Satan. I was disappointed, frustrated, irritated, and upset, because this is how I am to communicate with all our friends and supporters of this ministry.

While I was waiting on my third trip to Kampala to the internet store which is a days journey there and back and this is after five visits to the local store in Masaka town with about ten or twelve hours of fiddling with settings etc; I went to a local internet store called Afrika Point in the neighboring village that we could walk to from where we are staying. Now I need to emphasize that even when you go to an internet store it can be difficult because of electricity going off, extremely slow downloading of messages and of things just being dropped and you have to start all over again signing on etc. For example, you may be in the internet store for six hours to get four hours of airtime. It can be exhausting to say the least. Now some of you reading this, that have been here in Uganda, may say that it just wasn’t this bad for you, but remember I have been under spiritual attack because he thinks he found my soft spot. He looks for your most vulnerable spot, on some people it can be the food, living conditions, health, or even motion sickness from the crazy roads, but for me, I have an international ministry to run, so it is the internet. Other than that we have been very happy, healthy, and comfortable.

While checking my email at Afrika Point on Thursday, I met Joseph and Moses. I was looking for the computer speakers to listen to a voice mail from our American phone number, and these young boys were there to help me out. They live nearby and were just hanging out because they are friends with the people at this Christian internet store. We visited for a while and I told them about our ministry. Moses told me that he would like to donate some clothing to Jireh Children’s Center. I was quite surprised to hear this because we are constantly confronted with people in need and sometimes people just assume we are rich munzungoos and just outright ask us for money. He told me he had both his parents and had everything he needed and would ask some of his friends to donate some clothing too. I asked him if he went to church and I understood him to say that he belonged to a local church that I was familiar with. I invited both of the boys to come to The Mountain of the Lord Church on Sunday because it would be nice to have them, and there would be great worship music for them to enjoy. These boys said they would come and bring the clothing as well. I am guessing these boys are about 14 and 16 years old and they have very pleasant personalities and I thought how wonderful these young Christians are with such a giving heart.

On Sunday morning as Robyn and I walked down the steps to the front of the church we were pleasantly surprised as we were greeted by Joseph and Moses with a bag of clothes in their hand. I invited them inside and sat with them and it looked like they were enjoying the worship music as I had expected. When visitors were asked if they would like to come and introduce themselves, Joseph and Moses went up front and I followed them for support. Moses tells of his invitation to attend church and tells the congregation that I had invited them and they couldn’t disobey me and that it was his first time in a church. Yes, the feeling was quite overwhelming for me as I witnessed this; I simply had just invited them to our church. We went back to our seats and continued to enjoy the service. After the pastor completed his sermon on obedience he asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus today and to come up front if you were ready. You guessed it, Joseph and Moses motioned to each other and I looked at them and they nodded that they were going up to accept our Lord. As I followed them up I couldn’t believe what was happening. As I hugged them and placed my hands on their shoulders I was overcome by the Holy Spirit, it was so awesome that I just can’t explain it, I am so happy we had the pastors to pray over these boys because I was tearfully speechless to not only witness this but to realize how God was working through me.

After we returned to our seats I opened my bible to Matthew 25:31-46 “The Sheep and the Goats” and showed the boys that they have already done as the Lord has instructed us to do… vs. 36 “I needed clothes and you clothed me.”

The internet seemed so important for me to do my job in this ministry. It was the internet problems that brought me to meet these two boys that God had placed there just waiting for me to arrive that day. How easy it would have been to ignore them and not bother to invite them to church on Sunday. Sometimes the Lord has other plans for us and it is for us to act on them. If the Angels are keeping score, I think it is; “One frustrated Director equals two saved souls”!

Believing He will Provide,
Jim Fruehan