Set Free

This week I have been super busy hosting a team of people who have come with Set Free Ministries. 3 men and 3 women have made themselves at home in my home and we have enjoyed eachother's company. They are here for six days. The men are leading a Set Free Training. The women are nurses and they are going to various women's groups and schools to share some medical expertise.
I have been privilege to join in on the Set Free Ministries training. It is a three day seminar on learning how to be set free from sinful issues such as - pride, sexual sins, non-Christian spiritual experiences, bondage, rebellion, etc. There have been 45 regular participants, with a few extras staying part of the time. It has been refreshing to pray through all of these areas and give them to God.
This time together with my Ugandan friends though, has once again shown me that I need to continue encouraging them and praying for them. When we got on to a discussion about witchcraft close to three-quarters of the room put up their hands that at some point in their lives they have dealt with a witchcraft. I was in shock.
And then we started approaching the topic of sexual sins and the room started to giggle. I have learned that laughter in the Ateso culture means guilt or uncomfortableness. Many people had questions, trying to justify the culture... what about polygamy? What about the roles of women? What about HIV/AIDS? Were they supposed to list the sexual sins from before or after marriage? And the list went on. I really feel like the room was challenged to make a choice to live differently from this day forward and to share that knowledge with their friends and churches.
We are finishing up the seminar today and I'm intrigued by what the discussions will hold today. But for now, I had better get breakfast on the go for the gang. Ciao.