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.

God’s Timely Encouragements

The day had been long and full. Despite our best efforts, we knew the day-long training hadn’t been as helpful as we had hoped. Maybe we should have used this method rather than that, or dropped this and included that, or…and on it went. We bumped along in our blue Rav over the long dusty road leading from the camp site on the shores of Lake Victoria to the main road that would take us to Kampala.  Dusk was falling quickly as it does on the equator. Once on the main road, we were glad we were going toward Kampala rather than joining the bumper to bumper traffic headed home after work. Our Ugandan colleague sat beside me as I drove and the three of us debriefed the day of training. Not everything had “bombed out”—the Cross Talk evangelism tool had been received with enthusiasm, participants had freely and eagerly entered into the discussion, some truly “caught” the potential and thanked us, a closing circle of prayer initiated by the National Director during which several prayed for the program and for us, and more. But, it’s so “human” to focus on what didn’t go so well, and there was plenty that fell into that category!

Our living room wall where our Christmas cards are
displayed (and almost for sure more will be added)

Ah, our gracious Shepherd knew the turmoil…we had done our best but… This morning, while sitting around our dining table, once again discussing with a friend what had happened, of all things, a cell phone text arrived from a friend in the Philippines, “I’ve been really missing you.” Tears immediately welled up…and it was then that we realized that we were also deeply missing the Philippines…the known, our comfort zone. Thank you, friend, and Thank You Lord. Looking at our living room wall, God reminded us that those Christmas cards of 2013 were from people who loved and prayed for us – some daily! Thank you Lord! While still debriefing together, a phone call confirmed that two and maybe three of the Scripture Union of Uganda Regional Coordinators and their team had volunteered to pilot the program and would meet us again on Friday—Thank You, Lord. Then as if all these encouragements were not enough, just when I needed to “lighten up,” I read an e-mail prayer letter that erupted both me and Ruth in uncontrollable giggles. Speaking of something totally different, they ended the paragraph with “memorable moments we were eager to forget!” O yes, living and ministering in our new culture has caused us some of those moments. Thank You Lord for giving us a new perspective and comic relief!

Yes, our gracious Shepherd is faithfully leading us and providing for all of our needs, even those emotional needs that others don’t even know about. How good He is.