THE RIPPLES OF HELPING OTHERS

Opportunities to help others are always around us; in fact, often there are so many needs that it is impossible to respond to all of them. In some ways, when we choose to help others, especially those we don’t know well, we take a risk that the person may misuse our help and perhaps totally fail to accomplish what you try to help them to do…but when you’re sure God is asking you to help, you are willing to take that risk. To offset that, sometimes the help you give multiplies far beyond what you might have wished!

This truth was highlighted for me this past week as we met a “retired” couple who have spent two short term missions in Kenya. During their first stint they met Beth, the Ugandan that has been such a huge help to us. She was studying at the time in Kenya but soon after that, all Ugandan students had to leave Kenya. Through this couple, Beth was helped to apply and gather funds to study at Wheaton Graduate School.
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Fast forward to 2013 when we first met Beth. You can imagine the surprise, especially for Laura, when she learned that Beth studied at Wheaton —Laura also benefited from the same program—and that she had been in New Brunswick to visit her friends, whom she refers to as family! Following Beth's program at Wheaton, she served as the Scripture Union Director for Uganda, then the Children’s Ministry Coordinator for Scripture Union East Africa, and now Beth serves as a missionary of Scripture Union Uganda to South Sudan and Ethiopia…partly because a Canadian couple dared to take a risk and help. But the ripples continue on—the VOICE Africa ministry has been and continues to be greatly helped by our partnership with Beth.

When we were preparing to return to North America for this Mid-Term deputation, Beth strongly suggested we visit her Moncton “family” and gave us a note to deliver to them. Praise God, we had the privilege of meeting them. What a joy to be able to thank them for their part in Beth’s life and to share some of how that has been a huge benefit to us. May God help us to take such risks as others share needs and opportunities with us!