Cast Your Bread On The Waters

“Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again”.  Ecclesiastes 11:1

It began a couple of months ago with a request from KBC (Kampala Baptist) for adults to mentor university women associated with KBC.  Since the church is walking distance from the largest university in Uganda, students make up a significant part of the congregation and KBC has a great heart to reach and nurture youth.  There never seem to be enough African adults to help with the huge numbers of children and youth, so Ruth and I agreed to build relationships and encourage two young women (being university students, English is not as much of a barrier).  Ruth was assigned Flavia.   

Flavia and Ruth looking at the Philippine Activity sheets.

After helping her to attend a Youth Camp, we invited her to our home a couple of times and introduced her to the game, Skipbo which she absolutely loved.  One day a couple of weeks ago after a game of Skipbo (also with our friend Beth), she and Ruth began to talk about the ministry that we are involved in here. As Ruth showed Flavia the Values Curriculum, she showed special interest in the Class Activity Sheets.  You guessed it, Flavia volunteered to draft the work sheets.  She has submitted these and we are pleased with what we see.   

Yesterday Flavia texted Ruth asking if we had more work for her to do.  Ruth has gladly e-mailed her the Secondary Lessons for Flavia to come up with the interactive activities and puzzles that correlate with the Truth Lessons.  As we reached out to bless Flavia, she has proved an answer to prayer in helping us the huge task of developing the Activity Class Sheets.  Praise God!

Challenged by a Friend’s Example

We praise God for the privilege of working shoulder to shoulder with God’s people around the globe. This includes you who track with us in prayer and give sacrificially so that we can serve here. Thank you!

Another special privilege is to serve with nationals…and to learn from their godly example. One such friend is Beth, a Scripture Union Uganda worker (missionary to South Sudan and Ethiopia). Due to several reasons, she spent three nights with us this week plus lots of interaction…and prayer. (We lost count of the cups of hot tea we served...and the times of hilarious laughter over some of her stories and comments!) Almost always when we are with her, a fair chunk of time is given to prayer…she has challenged us with her urgency to lift each problem/challenge/question/need to God (King of Glory) in prayer, with much thanksgiving for His goodness to us in so many ways. Her attitude about difficulties has also been challenging. Her area of town has been without electricity and water for almost a week now. But when we seek to sympathize (while filling up her Gerry cans with water, providing her with drinking water, and charging her phone and computer), she reminds us that this is nothing compared to the suffering that people are experiencing in South Sudan right now. And her generosity truly humbles us. Quite spontaneously she shares (without any boasting) needy situations that she’s met and how she tries to find a way to do something to help.

Her zeal to see children come to Christ and be discipled is also admirable. She was asked to handle the Children’s Story at the church this past Sunday and chose to use the CrossTalk tract. After explaining it to the children she then encouraged those who know Jesus to use the CrossTalk to share the message with their friends. What a joy for me (Laura) to help behind the scenes and then to share the tract again with some children who had missed the presentation.

But perhaps the most challenging aspect of her wonderful example to us has happened this week as she’s allowed us to wrestle with her in prayer about her going for ministry into troubled South Sudan. “They need encouragement and moral support.” After much prayer and communication she has decided to go leaving here Thursday morning. A youth conference awaits her, several Christian workers, hundreds of Bibles that she hopes to see distributed and plans to use the CrossTalk tract. As you "hold the ropes of prayer for us," now we together do the same for our friend as she ventures forth with God’s Word (and His presence and promises) to a people so in need of encouragement and hope. Please thank God with us for Beth and pray with us as she follows God’s direction, despite the risks.

Silence!

God recently challenged me about my need for perspective, as we have put our “nose to the grindstone” in attempting to complete the first Module of VOICE East Africa for test teaching.  There are innumerable details in finalizing the Teacher’s Manual, art work for the Visual Aid Book, and original music to reinforce truths of the lessons.  In addition to the Curriculum there is the program and how to tweak it to best fit the context.  Finally we are wrestling with the Training, the best way to orientate and help those volunteers who, for the most part, are not used to having any curriculum to teach from.

While we puzzle in our new culture and context observing and asking questions, God waits for me to turn to Him and request wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Himself, Ephesians 1:17.  Oh to open the eyes of my heart to know Him.  This includes knowing the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance.  When I feel weak and disconnected in the new culture, He waits for my request of Him to know the exceeding greatness of His power that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.  This strikes such a chord in a land when death, heartbreak, and needs are so common.

When all is said and done, yes, eyes on Him.  He is the Risen Lord, exalted at the right hand of the Father far above all – thrones, dominions, principalities and powers.  Is there anything too hard for Him?  Is there any burden He cannot bear?  Is there any difficulty and suffering that will not also pass and be solved by He who has been given authority and sovereignty far above all of the things that challenge and stretch us.  Silence, eyes on Him.