Oliotia! My name is Yakobo.
We've made it to Africa! It has been an experience filled with profound encounters with God. Training camp brought exposure to the divine and unified our team incredibly fast. I am now part of a family with some of the most loving children of God I have ever known.
Random updates: the flight took about twenty hours (one of the flights had incredible food), I'm experiencing a dichotomy between my sleep-deprived body and my enflamed spirit, and I genuinely miss coffee. We haven't done much actual work, but yesterday we were able to go to Kyampisi Childcare Ministries to meet the kids, play a game of football, and eat a cow that had been killed earlier in the day. While experiencing all of these wonderful cultural events was enthralling, God has been teaching me about the glorious power and freedom of Jesus Christ.
During training camp, God completely wrecked me. My conceptions of theology were shaken and Jesus poured his Holy Spirit on me. I was freed of self-consciousness and my soul was restored. God brought me to an intimacy so much deeper and more intense than I have ever known. Yet after the emotions faded, I let doubt and fear creep back in. I was confused, but the transcendent, unconditional love of Jesus would not leave me in that state. He calls us to freedom and names us as his sons and daughters with full inheritance of his kingdom. He conveyed this declaration to me last night.
I can remember listening to one of my leaders, Larissa, share a story. Every time she would speak of something the Lord had done, I felt an apathetic disbelief towards her. My spirit was not right, so I went to to pray alone. I called out any darkness trying to fight me, and asked God to help me. I then left for the night, but went to say goodnight to Larissa and Betsy on the side of the house. Then, Jesus decided that deliverance was coming.
My new brother, Jon, came outside with us. Then all of a sudden, I started feeling like I was going to vomit. They took me downstairs to be prayed over, and I began a spiritual fight. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I was given freedom. There was no longer any void within me; only shalom.
Today, I got to be baptized in a beautiful Kyampisi spring. I feel a holistic peace throughout my heart, mind, soul, and body. Praise God!
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1
