I went to church again with Carl this Sunday morning. "Why, am I going to church with Carl, I asked myself?" I have nothing against Carl's church, but for some reason I have been led to go to church with him. Well, this morning I decided just to go and not ask the Lord so many questions. We got to church on time and we sat down and waited for the service to begin. Then the praise and worship began, so we all stood up and began to sing.

Then the Lord said, "Get up and go and stand at the back of the church, next to the wall."

I began to wonder, "What is going on?" - And I did not move.

Then the Lord said, "Are you going to do it or not?"

So I got up and walked to the back of the church and stood next to the wall.

Then, when the worship was finished the Lord said, "You can go back to your seat if you want to."

I was alright where I was, but I thought - I better go and sit down for the Lord might get mad at me.

Well the church was going to have Communion today and I decided not to have it there for I had made plans to go to the Catholic church and have Communion at the 5 PM evening service. So I stayed seated and began to pray as those who wanted to have Communion walked up for the bread and wine. While I was praying this young lady passed in front of me and then again on her return to her chair. I really did not see her face, only her figure, as she walked in front of me, between the chairs. Then after church, I kept asking myself, "What am I doing here?" The service wasn't very good and I felt like I was wasting my time. I do not mean to sound like I am someone great or something like that, but I felt like I had just filled and empty chair.

Well to proceed, I saw this very beautiful young lady and then I realized it was the young lady who had walked pass me while I was praying. Then a few minutes later I saw her again and we made eye contact and she walked away. Well this happened two or three more times. By this time Carl had made plans to go with some others to eat some Chinese food. This made my stomach say, "Yes, Yes!" For I was hungry again. We all gathered outside the church and guess who walked by again, but this beautiful young woman. This time I said to her, "I guess we keep running into each other".

To my surprise, she looked at me right in the eye and said, "I want to thank you. For you helped me a lot in church by praying."

I said, "I did!"

She said, "I saw this glow all around you when you were praying."

Then she began to cry.

I said to her, "I do not know why I am here. Maybe this is why."

Then someone from the lunch group walked over and invited her to have lunch with us. She came with us, but I sensed something was troubling her and I did not know what. I sat in the back seat of the car with her and another woman and for some reason the three of us held hands and prayed all the way to the restaurant. During this prayer drive I stopped praying with them and anointed the two of them with oil. Later after she had eaten she left early with another group, but she motioned to me to pray for her as she walked out of the restaurant and we agreed to meet again next Sunday at church. Well, I have been praying for her and if you would like to pray for her too, her name is Maria. Well, I guess that is all!

Mimi nilienda kanisani tena na Carl siku ya Jumapili hii. Nikajiuliza "Hivi ni kwanini naenda kanisani na Carl kila wakati?" Mimi sina lolote kibaya kuhusu Kanisa la Carl, lakini kwa sababu fulani nisiyo ifahamu mimi ni kama nimeongozwa kwenda naye kanisani huko. Naam, asubuhi hii mimi nilikuwa nimeamua kuwa nienda bila ya kumwuliza Bwana maswali mwengi. Sisi tulifika hapo kanisani kwenye wakati unaotakiwa, nasi tukakaa kwenye viti vyetu tukiwa tunangojea ibaada ianze. Kisha kusifu pamoja na kuabudi ikaanza, kwa hiyo sisi sote tuka simama na kuanza kuimba.

Kisha Bwana akasema, "Amka na uende ukusimama nyuma ya kanisa hilo, karibu na ukuta."

Mimi nikaanza kuwaza ni kwa nini, "Ni nini kinacho endelea hapo?" – Nami wala sikuamka kutoka mahali hapo.

Kisha Bwana akasema, "Je utaenda kufanya nilicho kuambia au lah?"

Kwa hiyo mimi nikaamka na kwenda kuelekea nyuma ya kanisa hilo na kusimama karibu na ukuta.

Kisha wakati ibaada ilipokuwa imeisha; Bwana akasema, "Unaweza kurudi kwenye kiti chako kama unataka kufanya hivyo."

Mimi nilikuwa sina matatizo hapo nilipokuwa nimesimama, lakini mimi nikadhania kuwa – ni vyema niende nikakae kabla Bwana hajanikasirikia tena.

Naam Kanisa lilikuwa limepanga kusherehekea au kushiriki Chakula cha Bwana siku hiyo, nami nilikuwa nimeamua kuwa sitashiriki Chakula cha Bwana kwenye Kanisa hilo; bali nilikuwa nimefanya mpango wa kwenda kushiriki kwenye misa ya kanisa Katoliki wakati wa ibaada ya saa 11 jioni ile. Kwa hiyo mimi nikawa nimekaa hapo nakuanza kuomba wakati wale waliokuwa wanataka kupokea Komunio wakiwa wamejitokeza mbele kwa ajili ya kushiriki Mkate na Divai ya Chakula cha Bwana. Wakati nikiwa ninaomba yule binti mara akapita tena mbele yangu na kisha wakati alipokuwa anarudi kwenye kiti chake. Kwa kweli mimi nilikuwa sijaona uso wake hadi hapo, bali umbile lake tu; wakati alipokuwa anapita mbele yangu katikati ya viti. Kisha baada ya ibaada ya hapo kanisani, mimi nikawa ninaendelea kujiuliza, "Hivi mimi nafanya nini hapa?" Ibaada hiyo wala haikuwa nzuri sana, nami nikawa najisikia kama ninaye poteza muda wangu. Mimi siyo nataka nionekane kama mtu wa maana sana au kitu kama hicho, lakini nilijisikia kama mimi nimekaa kwenye kiti kilicho kuwa kitupu.

Naam kwa kuendelea nisema kuwa, nilimwona yule binti aliyekuwa na sura ya kupendeza sana tena nikatambua kuwa alikuwa ni yule binti aliyepita karibu nami wakati ule nilipokuwa ninaomba. Kisha baada ya dakika chache baadaye mimi nilimwona binti huyo tena na macho yetu yakakutana naye kisha akapita. Naam hili lilitokea tena mara mbili au tatu hivi. Wakati huo Carl alikuwa amekwisha fanya mpango wa kwenda na watu kadhaa kwenda kula pamoja chakula kwenye mgahawa wa Kichina. Hili lilifanya tumbo langu liseme, "Ndiyo, Ndiyo!" Kwa maana nilikuwa na njaa sana. Naam tulikusanyana pale nje ya Kanisa na wajua ni nani aliyepita hapo tena, alikuwa yule binti. Wakati huo mimi nikamwambia, "Nadhani tuna bahati ya kukutana nawe leo".

Kwa mshangao wangu, yeye aliniangalia mimi mmoja kwa mmoja machoni na kusema, "Mimi nataka kukushukuru wewe. Kwa maana ulinisaidia sana hapo kanisani kwa maombi yako."

Mimi nikasema, "Mimi nilikusaidia!"

Yeye akasema kuwa, "Mimi niliona mwanga mkubwa kukuzunguka wewe wakati ulipokuwa unaomba."

Kisha akaanza kulia.

Mimi nikamwambia yeye kuwa, "Mimi sielewi ni kwa nini mimi niko hapo. Labda hiyo ni sababu yenyewe."

Kisha mtu fulani kutoka kwenye kikundi chetu akaja kutayarisha chakula cha mchana na kumkaribisha huyo binti ili ale chakula cha machana pamoja nasi. Yeye alikuja pamoja nasi, lakini mimi nilihisi kuwa kulikuwa na kitu kilicho kuwa kinamsumbua huyo msichana; japo mimi nilikuwa sikifahamu ni kitu gani hicho. Mimi nilikaa kiti cha nyuma cha gari hilo lililo tuchukua pamoja na binti huyo pamoja na mwanamke mwingine na kwa sababu ambayo sikuelewa tukashikana mikono na komba hadi tulipofika kwenye mgahawa ule walipoandaa chakula cha mchana. Wakati wa maombi hayo mimi nikachukua mafuta na kuwa paka mafuta hao wanawake wawili. Baadaye baada ya chakula yeye aliondoka mapema pamoja na kikundi kingine, lakini kabla ya kuondoka hapo aliniambia kuwa nimwombee, nasi tukakubaliana kuwa tukutane siku ya Jumapili ijayo hapo kanisani. Naam, mimi nimekuwa nikiomba kwa ajili yake na kama nawe unataka kumwombea pia; jina lake ni Maria. Naam, nadhani hayo ni yote!