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Arthur A Pilgrim Chapter-20

20. AFRICA

Africa is a vast encompassing continent. The northern part is mostly Arabic, followed by the Sahara Desert, and then the tropical black Africa extending to South Africa. Once you get there it seems as if it is the only world there is. The people are warm, with their lifestyle focused on people rather than on things. Life for most is a daily struggle for water and food. Life is basic, but the land is alive with the dynamic spirit of living.

I spent a total of two years walking in Africa and I must confess that when I returned to the United States, got off the plane in New York and took a taxi into Manhattan, I was shocked. There were far more smiling faces in poor Africa than in modern New York. I remember going into a toy store in Atlanta, Georgia, immediately after my return. There were hundreds of children in the store, buying toys with their parents. There were kids whining and complaining and fussing and mad because they didn’t get the toy they wanted, or they couldn’t afford it. I remembered all the little children in Africa playing with coconuts and little round things and laughing and screaming. I wondered which is the rich world and what is the poor world?

My walk across Africa began late in 1972, all of 1973 and most of 1974. I walked with the cross through the Canary Islands, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin), Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania and Rhodesia.
We had a British Land Rover where I kept my supplies and gospel materials.

I used the hood of the truck as a platform to preach. I hired a driver in each language area who would also serve as my interpreter. My interpreters also served as evangelists.

From My Diary – It was a beautiful sunshiny day in the Canary Islands as the Oriole slowly moved from Pier 16 at Las Palmas Harbor. For the first time since the walk with Jesus began on Christmas Day 1969, I was leaving my family now on February 12, at 2:00pm, 1973, to begin the African walk, thousands of miles from the nearest person I love. The Holy Spirit fills me, glory! After all the 32 years I’ve lived, after all the thousands of people whom I love and love me, I am now humanly separated from everyone I know by thousands of miles.

I am going to West Africa to Sierra Leone. No one knows me there. It is a total and completely new start.

My Land Rover’s clutch burned out on the way to the dock and the U.S. dollar was devalued. I had $800.00, but lost $80.00 as the devaluation took away 10%. It’s a real adventure, a new start for an old man! Ha!

I sure miss my family. I hardly know what to do without them. However I feel the tremendous presence of the Lord. I feel peace and faith so deep and rich that words cannot describe it. There is nothing on this earth to distract me. I have been in such sweet fellowship with the Father, it’s like the Holy Spirit is resting upon me, healing and opening me up to His power.

What will happen in West Africa, I don’t know the details yet, but I know the Lord is my armor and sword. In You, oh Lord, is nothing but victory and glory. I claim millions to be bowed before Thy feet in months ahead.

The splendid beauty of dawn has just come and the city seems covered by the low overhanging mountains. It is misty and cloudy and the air is warm. The majestic trees with perfect form stand in welcoming beauty. I have arrived in Freetown, West Africa. Already I feel a strange sensation, like I’ve never felt before. I welcome it all to the glory of God. I slowly feel at home. It is much like a Louisiana swamp feeling, the warm, thick humid air. It’s now 7:17am, and we have come into the port. God has prepared a welcome for me in his own way. Black faces are everywhere lined along the waterfront. Low yellow roofed buildings are streaked along the shore. I see the Land Rover now in ropes, soon to be lifted toward the sky and then lowered to the deck. I’m in Africa in person glory! In Jesus name, Arthur Blessitt has arrived.

Nearly started a riot today trying to give out Jesus stickers. Thousands upon thousands of people trying to get one little red sticker. I had to throw the roll of Jesus stickers into the air. The crowd was pressing in on me and I had to relieve the pressure.

In the cities there are thousands upon thousands of unemployed young men and older men with nothing to do. They sit for hours and hours or just walk around.

The water is supposed to be boiled or run through a purifier to kill the germs. Lizards are everywhere and so are bats and weird bugs, terrible looking insects. There are almost no supplies and sometimes hundreds of miles between doctors. People live on corn, cassava roots, rice, and a little fruit. The whole place is another way of life.

I took a walk though the city with the cross. Had a good service tonight, the church was full, with crowds standing outside. I preached in great power with a good number of people saved. The people here drive their children away. Tonight the children were standing outside. I went over and asked them to come in. One fellow said, “I don’t have a seat.” I said, “Come on in” and I put him at the very front. I brought in crowds of children which shocked the adults.

Whenever there is a crowd the children either have to leave or go to the back. It’s the same with eating. The children eat after the adults, not with them. But these children love me so much tonight, as they always seem to do. As I was ready to leave the church with the cross, children were all around me, hundreds of them, so I let them carry the cross. It never touched the ground, for about 30 children were holding it up and hundreds were following me down the street singing “God is not dead.”

One little boy asked, “Mister does God like children?”

I began to weep and said, “Oh yes, He does.” They all gathered around me as I told them how Jesus loved the children and held them in His lap and blessed them. Before returning I went off alone to pray and the children gathered around me. One little boy said, “Will you remember my name Sir, please, I want someone to know me.”

I put my arm around him and cried. All through the day until 10:00 o’clock at night the children stayed outside the door, waiting to see me.

Men and women came to the house where I was staying to be saved. As I was leaving the house the next afternoon, I spotted three women with babies waiting to see me. I discovered they had been waiting two hours. They wanted me to tell them about Jesus! I now understand how people must have followed Jesus. How, when the word went out that He was staying somewhere, people came to Him, crowds of people. This was exactly what happened here.

People followed me everywhere, especially the children. They came to Jesus for miracles, but if they could not see Him they took off the roof. I now see how it could happen. People even came up to me and said, “Mister, may I go with you or will you come to my village and preach?” I could stay here a year going from village to village. The gospel story of the life of Jesus is before my eyes. I don’t know if anyone has experienced the kind of life that I’m living except Jesus, but it is an awesome feeling and it fills me with wonder and humility.

I’m in the bush, the African walk is on. The hunger of the people is insatiable. I’m resting under two large trees by an abandoned house. Jaban has cooled and we have eaten. I slept and rested during the heat of the afternoon, from 12:00 to 4:00pm. It gets about 100 degrees in the shade and from 120 to 130 degrees in the sun along the road. It is hot, I say HOT. I traded my wide brim hat for a wild drooping hat.

Boy, it is hot. The soles of my shoes are melting. I don’t think they will make it to Monrovia.
We’ve had problems finding water. I bought Cokes in some villages, but they are always hot. There is no electricity here. My feet are very bad, a sea of blisters all over the top and bottom of my right foot. They have now turned bloody. I can hardly stand it with my shoes off, much less on. God will give me relief very soon. I tell you it takes some guts to go into this country.

The heat is intense, water is scarce and everything you drink is hot. Sleeping is hot, feet hurt, poor living conditions and everything is a terrific struggle, but I glory in the Lord. Anything less than the love of God and I would cast it aside and go back to the air conditioning, but my lot in life has been to leave the luxuries of life and struggle on in the power of Christ. To know the life of the poor, the hurts of the wealthy, to cross the many rivers and be obedient to the Master, even here in this jungle, to preach the gospel.

I was mobbed by people hugging and kissing me, many trying to touch my hands. I could not move. Finally, a group of young men had to form a circle around me and then push me through the crowds. Oh what a joy to be sharing Jesus. Hundreds were following me, so it turned into a march for Jesus, with songs, cheers, and people passing out Jesus stickers. Thousands of people lined the streets as I came in, waving, singing, and clapping.

Today it is hot, hot, hot. Just outside town ten children met me, then about 100 construction men came around, hundreds of people came over a bridge out of the city to see me. The crowd grew larger and larger, blocking the highway. People were trying to touch me. They led me to the City Hall where about 2,000 people were waiting. I drank a Coke and the leaders of the city gathered. I preached with a man interpreting. Hundreds were saved it was glorious.

I carried the cross through the town to a secondary school where they rang the bell. Five hundred students mobbed me, including hundreds more from the Rally. I took off my shoes in the afternoon and wrung blood from my socks. I doctored my feet, took a bath and fell into bed for a nap. I woke up at 6:00pm and preached at 6:30pm. Many were saved. When we were finished eating, about 30 women came dancing in. They all had their faces painted, shaking all kinds of things that rattled, and beating drums. They danced around, and then a woman came in dressed as the devil. I began to share Jesus with them I said, “Repent, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.” The sound of this devil band echoed through the night as I tried to sleep.

We came to a river today where many men and women were bathing in the nude, men on one side and women on the other.

We stopped to spend the night on a hill, a cool breeze was blowing. I began to sing as loud as I could. I had my shirt off, the sky was clear. It seemed as if millions of stars were putting on a light show. I sang and sang, my voice echoing through the hills, it blended perfectly with the sounds of the night. After about an hour of singing I noticed that a huge crowd had gathered to hear the voice and the message in song from the strange white man with the cross.

When I finished preaching I noticed on one side of the village women were rolling on the ground and crying, throwing dirt all over themselves. Someone had died and the people were grieving. The women beat the ground. They continued this for hours and days. They gather at the house of the nearest kin and then bury the dead. Usually the person is buried the same day or the next day. I tried to give them a message of consolation and hope, but in this primitive religion death is a great and possibly eternal separation.

When I arrived at one village, a young man about 17 years old came up and said, “Sir, will you tell us about God?” I almost cried as I told 75 people about Jesus. As I walked up they parted for me to pass. One man ran forward and fell on his knees. Folding his hands, he said, “Bless me Jesus, oh Jesus, bless me, I want to go to heaven.” He was crying. The crowd pushed close around. He put my hand to his head. I felt so strange. Then I said, “I am a man, not Jesus. I am not Jesus but He is near. I will tell you how to talk to Him, how to know Him. He will bless you.”

He pleaded, “Oh yes, yes, tell me, tell me.” I told him how to talk with Jesus and everyone else heard. Then the two of us prayed. He leaped up in joy and happiness.

At the last home on a hill, an old man stood with six boys by him. I waved at him and he yelled, “We’ve been waiting for you all day. I want you to preach to these boys, I will interpret. We’ve heard about you.” I climbed up the hill to this elderly 69 year old man. He gathered his six little boys, who lined up in a row beside the old man and I preached to them. They all gave their lives to Jesus. I loved them so much. He asked if he could carry the cross a little way. He and the six boys walked with me for about a half a mile, then we hugged, kissed and said goodbye, never to meet again until Heaven.

Today I am so dirty. I am walking along a little road where the trucks pass by and cover me with dirt. At the end of the day a black man said to me, “You black man or are you white man?” The road dust has covered me for three days and I am really a mess.

As I preached today I almost fainted. I had no microphone, just my voice. I was so weak I could hardly stand, for I had preached 15 times today, exhausted, but praising God. You know, it takes a lot to keep going on across this vast continent, it’s tough. I never mention much about myself; it is hard for anyone to see me as I really am. My feet are in bandages, my shoes are worn through and the rocks are cutting my feet. I must get resoles on my shoes somewhere. My little toe and the soles of my feet are bleeding. I am now down to 173 pounds.
Tonight I am in the bush. I feel Jesus so close to me, wrapping His arms around me. Oh, He must love me so much. You know God truly loves me and I love Him. I will go on, praying that I will shine as a light in these distant lands for His glory.

I carried the cross today to the Executive Mansion of the President of Liberia, Dr. Talbot. It was really something. As I entered we tried to get the cross in the elevator, but it wouldn’t fit so we had to carry it up the stairs to the fifth floor. Guards and soldiers joined in the very difficult task of getting the cross up the stairway. When I arrived, the two plush doors of the Executive Mansion opened and there was Dr. Talbot, standing behind a big desk with his entire Cabinet. He greeted me, came over to the cross and lifted it upon his shoulder. I asked to have a prayer, so we bowed our heads together and prayed. Here I am, an African cross walker in the President’s office. When I left and came down the stairs through the Mansion, about 100 soldiers, guards and maids had gathered. I preached to them and the Executive Mansion was in a total state of Jesus confusion.

I am dirty, hungry and tired. This is a major highway, but graveled. It leads west, north, south, and east, so the traffic is very heavy with big trucks, buses and cars. It’s the most dust I’ve ever had to walk through. Sometimes six or more trucks or cars came one right after the other for minutes at a time. I must breathe through a solid sheet of dirt. I hold my breath as long as I can as I try to find a break in the dust so I can breathe. I then hold my breath till the next break as I keep walking, praise God. I am covered with red dirt and as I sweat it runs as though I’m pouring blood!

I think the team of angels that looks after me must get very special merit badges for dangerous duty. I am ready to go Lord, but first let me have a glass of cool fresh water.

Today I reached Isa, a small trading village. You would have enjoyed Isa for it is a real trip of a town in these jungles, selling everything from wraparound sunglasses to coconuts, harmonicas, Superman T-shirts, little mirrors, etc. A short way out of town I almost got a new wife. She and her son joined me on the road and they wanted to go with me. “Oh, I’ll be your African wife.” I said, “Well thanks, but no thanks.” She asked, “Do you speak French?” I said, “No,” and she replied, “Well, I do.” It was kind of funny but sad. Here was an offer of a wife, a child and an interpreter all in one. Again, I said, “No thanks,” and continued on down the road.

Today is Easter, the day of the cross. This is the day we remember that Jesus carried the cross at Calvary. Were it not for this day there would be no hope, no salvation, and no life for eternity. But because He died I walk to spread the word of His life.

As I paused today at noon I am exhausted, perhaps as tired as I have ever been. I hurt all over and am so hot. I am so weak I can hardly stand up. Made only 11 miles this morning. I am sad, I don’t know why except, perhaps because the thoughts of Jesus dying for my sins and the sins of the world has filled me with the overwhelming sadness. I just cried and cried and cried. I think of my Lord Jesus and of all the lost people. The world is so lost and few Christians really care.

I remember the sign we hung over the cross when I was fasting in Hollywood for 28 days. The sign read, “Does Anyone Care?” Well, we could hang that sign on the world. Oh how I long to feel the total presence of God in Heaven and I pray I will be a light to the world, way out here in this distant bush.

Today I entered a village where a huge crowd was pushing and shoving. I decided to cook a little food and I had to change the burner on my tiny butane gas stove. As I started screwing in the gas tank, vapor began to escape. I had gotten it in wrong and had punctured a hole in the can. As the escaping gas rushed by my hand it began to freeze, so I had to let go of the tank. It began to squeal and shoot, like a jet, spraying white vapor all over the ground. As it flashed and screamed and raced through the village the people had never seen anything like it. It took off and they took off screaming and running for their lives. I lay on the ground rolling with laughter. It was so funny! I walked past an airport runway today; big modern jets were flying over straw huts located along the highway and the coconut trees growing by the seaside. It was a picture to remember. Two Africas, the modern and the old.

It rained all day and I was wet from 7:00am to 7:00pm, twelve full hours of walking, preaching, sloshing through mud and rain. At one point a demon possessed woman screamed, jerked and kicked at me. Every time I looked at her she screamed. I claimed in the name of Jesus for God to silence her. He did, and she just stood there and shook as I preached. At the end, many gave their lives to Jesus. I went over to the lady to lay hands on her and prayed. She was set free. After a final loud scream she was fine.

Once when I was preaching a huge crowd gathered. As I stood on the Land Rover preaching, a man stepped out of a store and showered the crowd with perfume. Soon the smell was all around us and it was the sweetest crowd I had ever preached to. The man was very happy that I had come. I was reminded of the woman in the Bible that anointed the feet of Jesus with perfume.

The cross was leaning against a coconut tree with the ocean waves washing almost to my feet. The waves are white as they begin breaking about a hundred yards from the tree-lined coast. Sharp jagged rocks are sticking up and in the distance the white sandy coast of narrow beach stretches as far as the eyes can see. Not a person is around. The weather is cool, and there are coconuts all around. There is no human sound, just the sound of the birds blending with the sea waves and the rustle of leaves making a most beautiful sound, like a heavenly choir. Surely this is God’s creation making music as only it can. Oh, thank you Jesus for calling me into evangelism, for calling me to preach thy Holy Word to the entire world. I’m not worthy to even hold the Bible, much less preach it. I don’t believe there is another person who has preached in so many different kinds of places in the entire world.

I have preached in houses of prostitution, homosexual churches, Hell’s Angels’ camps, at rock festivals, in bars and nightclubs, go-go clubs, nude clubs, on the streets, on sidewalks, on porches, in football stadiums, at automobile races, wrestling matches, dirty movie porno clubs. I have preached in churches, in jails, in prisons, in massage parlors, in Governor’s offices, presidents’ offices, villages, hospitals, battlefields. I have preached on television, the radio, at ball games, in gambling casinos, bingo parlors. I’ve preached on the top of tanks, on an oil rig. I’ve preached at air bases, almost every place one can imagine. What a life! If only other people, especially the young, could see the thrill of serving Jesus.

I had a new interpreter today. He was a good interpreter, as a matter of fact, when I preached it seemed as though he was preaching better than I. The only problem was that when he finished preaching he would get in the Land Rover and just sit there. I would be talking and sharing with the people. Eating and drinking with them. When I asked the interpreter what was the problem, he said, “I’d love to preach and love to share the truth, but you can’t touch those people, you’ll get all kinds of diseases.” He said, “You can’t eat, you’ll get sick, the food is bad and the water is terrible.” He loved God, he wanted to love God and spread the word of God but he didn’t love the people. I had to let him go in a nice way because I felt he was like most people in the world. They love the word of God, they love God, but they don’t love the people around them.

“My dear children, I want to tell you that I love you. My heart is full beyond words with pleasure and love as I think of you. I know it must be hard to understand why I am away from you. At night you may cry for me and wonder where I am. I’ll try to explain, but my words are inadequate. My deepest desire and my one passion are to love and obey God. He leads me and I try to follow. I cannot explain His infinite call, why the road for me has been so different and demanding. I cannot say, but I just trust Him. Because we are traveling all the time you’ve never known a house of your own and toys have been scarce. You’ve had to leave all your friends, even the new ones you meet on the road. We have to struggle to feed and clothe you because we are always on the move. I’m sorry if I fail you, I try to do my best, but you have all my love. You are the thrill of my life.”

I remember back in 1968 when Gina was four or five years old, I came home at dawn after witnessing all night, exhausted, and fell in my bed. She awakened, and came into the bedroom and looked at me. Although she was only a little child she had walked the streets with me, so she knew where I had been. I’ll never forget as she looked into my eyes. I saw her beautiful eyes and long golden blonde hair. She said, “Daddy, I understand, I really do.” Some of the most beautiful words I have ever heard in my life. I know that deep in your hearts you understand me; you understand the call of God.

Life has been strange for me. It has been a constant struggle. God has always had me do the impossible and when the impossible is accomplished He has another impossibility immediately in front of me. He calls me to attempt the impossible tasks. For some, success brings human luxuries of life and ease, but for me God has always had me leave at the moment of success and glory and start out on new and even more difficult tasks. The hand of the Lord has been on me and used me and moved me and He will continue to do so. He has anointed me to shake the world and this He has done and is doing. I do not strive to bring it to pass, He does. The things we started in Hollywood have spread around the world. I have had constant opportunity to go to the road of “big time evangelism and organization,” but God has called me away from this to the simple, dramatic and direct. He wants me in the dirt with the oppressed, the poor, and the lonely. He wants me to cut the hearts of the lazy, the lip Christians, and the greedy. He uses me as a sharp knife, one swift stroke and it cuts deep. I can’t explain it but God will help you to know why our way has been the way of struggle, blisters, dirt, cold, pain and glorious victory and power. I trust that when you grow old you will be pleased with me.”

I went to a movie tonight. My heart was broken. The people are going crazy over the Chinese movies and American police and murder movies. The movies are terrible, very bloody but the reaction of the people is even worse. I’ve seen only one and I will never go back to another over here. The crowds scream, “Kill, kill, kill,” or “Hit, hit, hit.” They applaud the violence. I’ve never seen anything like the way Africans respond to movies. It is so sad that the western world is teaching these people about sexual perversion, crime, and cheating. I feel so ashamed about what we are teaching, not that this country is perfect, but it is so evil the way the West is compounding their troubles and their lives by teaching them the worst, not the best, that there is in our society.

Today, I gave away most of my food. People are in such bad shape. I wish I could feed the world. Beautiful little people work. I tell you, it is so unbelievable how hard they work, mainly grassland. Many have to walk so far to get water. I do love the people of the soil, they are so friendly and sweet, so interested in what I am doing. They always say, “What message from God do you have for us?” Oh, that is the cry of these people, God save them all. It is just God’s grace that moves us on to spread His word.

How thrilled I am to be giving these strong years of my life in this service for Jesus. I know many people must think I’m crazy, for in their minds, I’m wasting the opportunities I have had for riches, power, organization, and materialism. To waste these priceless years of strength when I could be fishing, watching sports, driving new cars and sitting in air conditioned houses, or leading a mighty Jesus organization is unheard of. Tell them not to weep for me, I weep for them, for I am in the center of God’s spontaneous unorganized grass-roots richest blessings and I love it. The values of the world offer me nothing, how could it be that crowds of preachers are willing and feel led of God to pastor the “first” church with all its benefits, and here there is plenty of room for “first” churches, but no takers.

I know God has called me to keep walking, but otherwise I’d find the most remote and needy area of Africa, preach the gospel and help them farm. Oh, wake up world!

I find few people are interested in me when I am back in America, the real person, who I am, my emotions, the inside of me. I think it was also that way with Jesus. The crowds saw Him and they wanted His miracles, His healing, His food, the things He did. But few were interested just in Him. Even the disciples fought over a place of honor near Him. So many people in the West seem interested in my stories, where I have been, the exciting things. They want to hear this story and that story. They see an image, but not me. Very few people ever say, “What is your life, what are your values? What is the basis for your living? What emotions have you experienced? Why is Jesus Christ Lord? Tell us what you know about God, what have you learned about life with Jesus?” On the contrary, most ask, “How many countries have you traveled? What is the prettiest scene you have ever seen? Where do you get your money? What church do you belong to?” I get very tired of this. Many times there seems to be no place to escape. I try to insert the real Jesus into their questions. It seems so many live their lives on such a shallow basis.

The greatest thing is love. God said that we should love Him with all our hearts, soul, strength, and might and to love our neighbor as our self. Then Jesus even made that love more profound by saying, “We are to love as He has loved us.” I think in essence when we face the judgment of God, perhaps since love is the most important thing that God may be interested in on judgment day, we need to examine the quality of our love, the true quality? How did we love the poorest, how did we love those who seemed to be despised?

Once Jesus was talking and He said, “I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, I was thirsty and you didn’t give me drink, I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in, I was sick and you didn’t visit me, I was in prison and you didn’t come to me.”

We will say, “Lord, we never saw you that way.”

And He will say, “As ye did it not to the least of these, ye did it not unto Me.”

So, what is the quality of love? How enduring has it been? How temporary or changing?

Lord, it’s so good. It has been a long hot walk today but the people were eager to hear the Word of God. Crowds were already waiting for my arrival all through the day. Tonight I’m sleeping in a small village and am preaching at 8:30pm at the church. I’m exhausted, but not too much to share with these eager people. They all welcome me, gather around to look at me and want me to preach. I just ate and took a bath before about 100 people who had followed me, I couldn’t keep them away. I tried to get in a little dark spot. I do more strips a month than most go-go girls in Hollywood. As a matter of fact, I not only strip, but I bathe in front of them. It makes no difference, they are curious about everything. It feels so strange sometimes when I’m in a house and I bathe alone after nearly a year when I bathed with crowds!

Praise the Lord, today I got a driver and interpreter. He is driving my Land Rover and interpreting as I preach to big crowds. Couldn’t find a Christian. He is Muslim, wearing a little Muslim skull cap while I carry the cross and preach about Jesus. When I asked him if he would interpret correctly and not tell about Mohammad when I’m talking about Jesus, he said, “I swear on Allah my God I will tell the truth.”

I just said, “Okay, just tell the truth.”

Tonight when I got to the end of my sermon and gave the call for people to commit their life to Jesus, I asked, “If you’ll give your life to Jesus right now, then I want you to raise your hand.”
My interpreter had his hand up and he didn’t say anything.

“What did you tell them,” I asked. “That if they wanted to give their hearts to Jesus to raise their hand?”

He said, “I do.”

And I said, “No, you didn’t. You didn’t say anything. You are the only one with your hand up.

You haven’t told them.

And he said, “I want to give my life to Jesus Christ.”

I suddenly realized that he was the first convert. So, I just stopped for a minute, explained more of the gospel, led him in prayer, and he was saved. Most of the village was converted.
Well, glory to God? I arrived in a village today and believe it or not, they had a kerosene refrigerator! Of all glorious things! And, I had a BIG glass of ice water! Oh, what joy it is to drink cold water! It’s funny, when you live in the midst of abundance, you cannot even conceive of being without it. But when you’ve been without little things for so long, and you finally get them again, they seem so big and important. So it is with life. We take so much for granted. I think living on the road like this heightens the feeling. Even a bed, you get so excited when you see a real bed. When you get into a clean house and there are no flies, you can’t believe it. When you find the ultimate, an air conditioner, it feels like heaven and really makes you appreciate everything. Most children like just turning on the faucet, just turn the knob, punch the place and here comes the ice out, open the refrigerator door and it is cold. But that’s not the way most of the world lives. They have to carry their water for miles most of their lives, as well as their firewood, and food.

November 24, 1973 – “It is still possible that I can get home for Christmas. Wow! Wouldn’t that be wonderful! Home is where you are, I look forward to that.

You won’t believe this, but I’m having a swinging night at the local go-go. I’m loose and free in Bachooakagbe, have you ever heard of it? Well, it’s a local hot spot. The boys and I have been having a revival! I’ve been having a long talk with the local repairman, a foreman and a road worker, and a whole crowd of people which gathered around. I taught the Bible. After that, I started singing. I’d sing a song and then they would sing a song. Mine would be something normal, and theirs would be, “ooyu bouyoo.”It was really fun and we all had a great time.

Maybe not too much beauty of voice, but lots of love for Jesus. Many people gave their lives to Christ. The chief even came and joined us and we all sat there and had a beautiful time together.”

Tonight I while I was taking a bath the whole village was gathered around me, but it was dark and I thought I was safe. Then a very unusual thing happened. Suddenly a car came around the corner of the road, and there I was, in full spotlight. Now I know how the girls in Hollywood feel.