Thursday, September 15, 2011

THE CHINESE MOON FESTIVAL-SAN FRANCISCO

Apart from the Hurricane Irene, my visit to Virginia was good and enjoyable.It was great to spend time with my friends Tom and Sandy and also preach at Pastor Walt's church.
Sunday i visited a new church called New Beginnings Outreach church led by Pastors Robert and Barbara Gibbs. We had a great time. It was good to meet and make new friends.
Robert and Barbara took me to the air port the following Monday September 5th on my way to California, where i plan to spend another four weeks.
It was a long days trip, we arrived in California a few minutes after 4:00 p.m.
My friends from New Life Christian church, Tony and Joe were waiting for me at Oakland airport and we headed for Tony's home. His wife Grace is a good cook, so you can imagine how i have gained more weight since.

SAN FRANCISCO
Tony took me for a visit to San Francisco, we took a Bart, which is kind of a train that is powered by electricity. It is so fast.
San Francisco is so beautiful with a lot of history behind it. It has so many good sights to view including the beach, bay bridge, the China town, the most crooked straight, the Golden gate bridge, the ocean and sharks...
On this beautiful day we chose to visit the China town. This place has everything Chinese you can think of. From stores to food, clothes, jewelry and so many other things that are popularly used by Chinese.Years ago, the Chinese came to this country and for some reason they decided to live and work together from this small location in the heart of San Francisco.
On this particular day, it was a big day for the Chinese. So the Chinese here made a festival, they had a parade to join their brothers and sisters back home to commemorate the moon festival. Whatever that means, but this is kind of moon worship and they do this on a new moon once every year. They put out stalls, make shows and put out many things to sell  food, clothes etc..it was kind of a trade fair. And then this band was praying music through the China town street. It was amazing.
We visited a few other areas and before we knew it, it was coming to evening and time to go back home.
On Sunday i preached at New Life Christian church. I was glad to meet all my great friends that go to New Life Christian church.
Revival Outreach Ministries partners with New Life Christian Church to help receive support for our orphanage and children. Our plans are to register the ministry as a Non-profit organisation in the USA. But until then, all our partners, donors and sponsors for children send tax deductible support to us through New Life Christian church. This has been a great blessing to us and has helped us to get more children sponsors. It means much for a child in our village to go to school as that is the only way they will be able to get a good future. In our country education is paid for right from Kindergarten to college and these orphans and poor children have no way to get money to go to school unless they are helped. $35 in enough to make a dramatic change in a child's life. This pays for tuition, medical bills, lunch every day, school uniform and a pair of shoes every year. It is such a great blessing to give a child hope and a future. We still have hundreds of children that need help, if anyone is interested to help a child or know more please write to me at: jbakashaba@gmail.com or call New Life Christian church at (510) 889-1304.
I got opportunity to speak at another church on Wednesday night. God has given me a message of encouragement and about the hope which can be found in personal relationship and fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Every where i go, you feel people hurting and almost lost hope because of the bad economy in the US now. In Africa we are kind of used to hard conditions and can do without a few things, but no so with most Americans, God has blessed them so much so that it is hard for them to live with out the comfortable, good living. Unfortunately things have changed and many have lost their jobs and homes. It is always a joy to speak a word in season to people whose attention is focused onto the sovereignty of God. In Africa, people have need for God because that is all they have. Whereas in America people bless and pray over food, ordinary people in Africa cannot afford a meal per day and always pray for food.
I am always amused by the great difference between our culture and the American people. There are many things that are so different. There is this couple that are signing for a divorce; reason, the husband is not cleaning dishes and laundry!!! To a common person in Africa, it is hard to understand. We are not used to that. My wife can never ask me to clean dishes. She one day told me that i am getting spoiled and learning bad manners because i found her in the kitchen and wanted to help her as i saw Americans do. "You have no business coming to my kitchen, go sit, relax and let me serve you..." she said.

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