The Ones We Serve With (Parents: A Little Graphic for Kids)

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20

Some missionaries go out and God wants them to start organizations or orphanages or something remarkable. We don't feel that work is for us. We're here to get real personal with a few people in order for THEM to reach their own people. The main work of ministry we've been involved with is with 4 people. Jesus left Heaven and poured into 12 men. Out of these 12 men, one turned away from Jesus, and the other 11 carried out the gospel to the nations. Yes, Jesus also taught the multitudes, and Tyler teaches a larger group at church too... but the bulk of the time here is spent with 4 people and their children. Julius, Caroline, Catherine, and Bismark. Julius and Caroline live with their four children in the hut behind the boy in the picture. We are working on getting Catherine and her son Paul, and Bismark and his wife and son here to live with us too. For now, Catherine is our "house help." AND BOY DO I THANK GOD FOR HER! She brings Paul to work here with her to play with our children. Bismark comes here to work on the never ending construction work. God is providing in miraculous ways to get him and his wife and son here to live on the land with us. 

Quite a few years ago, a man named Wes came to our church in Farmington. He and his wife were ministering at the time in Northern Uganda. He was setting up secure compounds for the "night commuter children." Kids would have to leave home at dusk, sleep in compounds surrounded by razor wire and guards with guns. There were rebels (LRA) in the land kidnapping children and killing their families at an overwhelming rate. We began to pray. My heart broke for these children halfway across the world. At another time, someone else came to our church talking about Africa and the LRA. They were selling military berets in order to raise funds for the work being done to protect the people. We bought two for our boys, and continued to pray. This was WAY before I ever dreamed of moving here. And... knowing the history of Uganda... it was a HUGE reason why I didn't want to come at first.

An old picture...
Night Commuters Sleeping

Thankfully, the rebels led by an evil demon possessed man, Joseph Kony, have fled the country, and that horrific time is over. 

The scars are still here.

Last week, I received a not-so-encouraging email from someone saying they couldn't understand why we came here. I figured maybe I read into it wrongly. Even still, not everyone will always agree with what God has for ME. He didn't tell THEM what I should do. I thought about it though... four people?... what in the world are we doing here?... is this it?

A few minutes later, Catherine came to work and I said, "How was your night?" 

She said, "I didn't sleep. I had a dream that Joseph Kony was back. Tyler was yelling to me, 'GET IN THE CAR!' I woke up crying and crying and I didn't go to sleep after that."

God's voice is so clear sometimes. "This is why you are here." 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; 

Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; 

He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 

To proclaim liberty to the captives, 

And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

To comfort all that mourn;

...To give unto them beauty for ashes, 

The oil of joy for mourning, 

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 

That they might be called trees of righteousness, 

The planting of the Lord, 

That He might be glorified.

Isaiah 61:1-3

Catherine continued to tell me her story... tears streaming...

She said people would be out working in their gardens, rebels would sneak up with guns, and they had to follow or be killed. Catherine was abducted when she was about 10. She said she was with them for 2 months, but it felt like 5 years. She escaped with another girl, and they wandered in fear and hunger and thirst for 2 weeks before coming upon anyone. They were brought to safety. Catherine was never physically harmed. She knows this was a miracle. I hugged her there in my kitchen, and we prayed for justice, an end to the evil, and for her mind to be renewed. The picture at the top is of Paul, her three year old son. He was playing with the military beret one day, and the whole situation came full circle.

I haven't met a person yet without a story of how they were affected by this war. It's not a free topic of conversation. I don't ask questions... I just listen when someone wants to talk.

Julius was just talking about his parents. His mother died when he was about 9. His dad was taken by the rebels a few years ago, and he doesn't know if he is now fighting with them or dead.

Bismark was 2, and his brother was 4, when their father was drug out of their hut and killed. Bismark's mom was pregnant at the time, so they spared her life and her two small sons. They lived in a refugee camp from that time on. Bismark's mom still lives there because she has had no way to start her own life back up again. But... she still owns the land her old hut was on. So, on Tuesday, we are having her land plowed and seeded for her. In two years, she will have a working cassava farm (very low maintenance cash crop), and she can rebuild her home. Praise the Lord! As a gift of her appreciation, she gave Tyler a chicken.

So these are the people we live with. Broken people that have - by the grace of God - made it through and continue to praise Jesus. We know much about the Bible, and they're just beginning to learn. We can teach them Scripture. They can teach us about the God of the Bible Who provides their daily bread when they are hungry, Who is their shield and strong tower when the enemy attacks, Who is their healer when there is no good doctor. I'm BLESSED to sit under this teaching, and BLESSED to be a part of their lives.