Small Groups

We went with the idea (or at least I did) that the course would be run the same as we do it here. That was not to be. You see, here in the USA we are used to breaking into groups and sharing ideas - not necessarily what is on our hearts, but ideas nonetheless. We found that to be a "foreign" concept there. These people are fully comfortable with responding to God during an altar call (although we rarely see altar workers as we know them). They are willing and eager to respond to God with no hesitation. But to break up into small groups to discuss the teachings and to receive counsel was new. So we started out slow. John and Jan taught on forgiveness/repentance/restitution. They ended the teaching with James 5:16, emphasizing the importance of confession and receiving forgiveness. The students were asked to break into groups of two to discuss the teaching, what God was teaching them through it, confessing any sins that the Holy Spirit revealed and receiving forgiveness of that sin through prayer. NO ONE MOVED! You could have heard a pin drop.

Fortunately, Pastor Emmanuel gets up at the end of each teaching and recaps the teaching. It is as if he is telling his people that "Yes, this is what we believe." So this day he got up to recap. He emphasized the importance of doing what was asked of them in order to receive healing. He again read the passage from James. He then said, "We will do this. Choose a partner and discuss the teaching and pray for one another." He then proceeded to go to a person seated, grabbed his hands so they were facing each other and modeled what he was requiring his people to do. It was amazing to witness! People were being set free right before our eyes - we had nothing to do with it. It was the power of the Holy Spirit visiting down on his people because they were being obedient to authority. AMAZING GOD WE SERVE!

The next time the people were asked to break into groups of three or four they could hardly wait to do it. Right away the buzz of discussion and then prayer could be heard throughout the building. So what if it did not fit what we do here or what I had experienced in India or how God worked in Ukraine, Japan or Lithuania. God was at work here in Kabiria in a way that would bring lasting fruit for them - Hallelujah!