Indeed life has so many variables which become more
complex in cross cultural ministry. As we pray “Thy will to be done on earth as
it is in Heaven,” we sometimes are brought to those “Selah” moments calling for
a pause.This morning was one of those times.
Following a time
of prayer, the four of us with VOICE Africa began to discuss plans for publishing the next module, Forgiveness…a
discussion which lasted about two hours as some of the challenges of teaching
this value began to emerge. Both of our Ugandan staff grew up in
abusive families and have struggled through the journey toward forgiveness.
They represent a very high percentage of this population. And as one of our
friends frequently says, “children who are hurt grow up to hurt other children.”
Only a Biblical understanding and practice of Forgiveness can break the vicious
cycle. Forgiveness, in this “Christian” country is a common topic, but many of
the beliefs and practices connected to “forgiveness” are unbiblical.
Although the testimonies received following the test
teaching of forgiveness more than a year ago clearly showed that the lessons
(using God’s Word) were effective and brought about transformation, we feel a
need to review and make sure it’s the best it can be before proceeding. We realize
again how huge of an issue this is and the need to unpack this Biblical value
carefully for maximum understanding—both for the volunteer values teachers as
well as the students they teach. We are giving ourselves more time for prayer and
also inviting key people to join us for a Forgiveness Consultation which will
include a review of the module on each of three age levels. Pray that the
volunteers of God’s choice will be available for our Aug. 9 consultation, that they
will intentionally prepare themselves by reading through the lessons with both
cultural and Biblical lenses, and arrive with practical insights for
improvement. We all need God’s wisdom. We are so grateful for your intercession
that is backing us as we work toward publishing this module to be taught by
many (wounded) values teachers to thousands of (wounded) students throughout East
Africa. May God's Spirit using God's Word bring freedom from an unforgiving spirit and bitterness to many souls for His glory.
Thank you for following God's leading on this oh so important topic of forgiveness. Praying with you!
ReplyDeletePraying for you as the publishing process takes a "Selah" moment but the hard work of "making sure it's the best it can be" continues.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to learn so many were/are not cherished as children! Healing please Lord!
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