God Certainly Works “Outside the Box”

We as SEND missionaries—a mission that doesn’t work in Africa—are in that out-of-the-box category! And the more we observe God at work, the clearer it becomes that He specializes in doing things we might describe as “outside the box”—not in a way that we would plan or expect to happen. Last Sunday, we had totally unconnected conversations with three different people and each one highlighted this specialty of God!

Our first was with a missionary couple from another mission who have had some puppet experience and have been desirous to see that method used here in Uganda. When Laura shared what is happening with the Scripture Union puppet team she’s working with, their eyes lit up and they agreed to come to the next puppet meeting this Saturday. Their contribution (among others) is exactly one of the biggest needs—help with coming up with scripts and music! Not exactly something that we could plan…but one of God’s out-of-the-box ways!

Second was with our day guard—whose own salvation is somewhat questionable although he has heard the Gospel on a number of occasions. Earlier in the day he asked for transportation money to enable him to go to his village for a funeral of an uncle. Laura decided—no doubt a thought from God—to provide that need but with the agreement that he would take and distribute 125 God’s Offer tracts to his family and mourners. Upon his return that evening, he was glowing—“I have given them all out, people kept asking, one requested 25 to share with her family.” Hmmm…that’s a rather out-of-the-box way to evangelize!

And third was by phone with one of guys, Steve, on the Puppet Team. He and others had gone to help lead a Scripture Union Uganda Exodus Camp, especially for students who finished secondary school and are waiting to begin college/university—a 9-month wait here. They used puppets and also trained them to make sock puppets which the campers loved…but that wasn’t the highlight. They also took the Honesty module, Secondary level, to use as part of the teaching sessions. They only taught the first 3 lessons but Steve said the results were phenomenal as campers were convicted of acts of dishonesty that have been part of their lives.  When campers shared their highlights of camp, the vast majority testified of the impact of the honesty lessons.  Steve went on to say that a number of these teens volunteered to teach the curriculum in schools during these months of waiting! Although Laura was the one on the phone, I was close enough so that I could hear…and I immediately dropped my head in shame and worship and exclaimed out loud to God…"You will do it Your way, won’t You?" What an amazing God we serve!