It had been raining heavily in Chenda Village of Rufunsa Distict for three days into the weekend. The contractor working on the church building informed us that they had to put construction works on hold because of this.

When we arrived on Saturday, 15th January, nimbus clouds had already started clustering for another downpour. All the times we have been in Rufunsa it had not rained and that helped us to hold church meetings in the unroofed church building. But this day was different. With no nearby shelter around we had to get ready to be soaked. I wasn’t worried about that but about my Bible and the visitors who had come to hear the Word.

Because of the imminet rains the song leader told me meetings had to start immediately before the rains overtook us. He gathered the people and started leading them into songs. My thoughts were still on the visitors. Well, I rushed into the car to meditate and have a little time in prayer to prepare myself for the preaching. I then felt a tiredness and instead fell asleep. After about 10 minutes I woke up. I felt bad at how I could fall asleep whilst people waited for me. At that moment I heard the sound of rains. In a few seconds the winshield of the car was coverd in droplets. “Dear Lord, would you stop the rains just for this time to allow us worship and hear your word? But with or without rain we will worship the Lord!” I spoke out as I put on a jacket and wrapped my Bible in a plastic. I got out of the car and rushed to the church building.

Immediately after entering the building the song leader handed the service to me . The worry of the rains was on every face. The downpour was on us and was getting stronger. Droplets wetted my glasses and  I took them off, but the rain drops which mingled with my sweat entered my eyes and they became itchy. I wondered how I would read the Bible. “I will open it, let it get soaked and the pages will be my testimony” I said to myself. I turned to the congregation and encouraged them: saying,  “The three Hebrew young men in Babylon braved the fiery furnace, so, what is rain water to us?”

I opened the Bible and began to read and at that moment the rains subsided. As I began to preach it was completely dry. Immediately the preaching ended and as I moved out of the pulpit (made of piles of bricks) the showers started. As the song leader stepped in to dismiss the service, one of the visitors raised his hand (signaling that he wanted to say something); he was surprised at what had happened. “That was a mighty downpour which had started, I was worried about how this meeting would proceed in this open place, but the rains suddenly stopped when the preaching started” the man testified as all people gave a mighty clap of rejoicing. But this was not the end of the testimony. Two sisters who came late for the service and were soaked in rains exclaimed, “We are coming from heavy rains and we are surprised to see the church grounds without rain”. Indeed, as we drove off on our return we found streams of flood waters had formed a few metres from the church site and throughout the road.

We are thankful to the Lord for this blessing. Shalom.