Serving in Ministry

Every once in a while, while pondering on blogging ideas, I think, "I really need to let people know what we're doing 'ministry-wise.'" I'm having a difficult time putting that into a concise statement. To put it simply and honestly, we're just living. Yes, Tyler is the pastor of our church... but he's trying to release that title slowly to a lovely Ugandan man named Julius. And yes, we own this farm-property where upwards of 20 people can be employed on a given day... but we don't spend our days with most of them. And yes, we have a home Bible study that draws a nice hut-full of people - every seat is full and floor space is even becoming limited... but Tyler has already released that teaching, and only teaches it once in a while. We don't run an orphanage, but we're helping a lonely teenage boy with no family to know Jesus. Tyler gave him some money to fix his drippy metal roof. He is at our house most days. I feed him "American noodles" and he talks about the Bible while he collects the chickens' eggs. We're not building a school, but we're encouraging a single mom to teach her three year old letter names and sounds. He started learning English in February, and is communicating with my children very well now! We don't run an official clinic, but we have Bandaids and peroxide, a thermometer and Malaria treatment, some Ibuprofen and baby Tylenol. We've treated most situations with just that. But even some local Ugandans wonder when we're going to start shelling out the money to build something extravagant.

Jesus didn't ask for extravagance. He asked for hearts willing to be emptied so He alone could fill. Sometimes that includes orphanages or schools or hospitals. For us, it's just our lives on display. That's what we're doing "ministry-wise." Day by day, we choose - BY THE GRACE OF GOD - to be emptied of any expectation we may have for ourselves, the people we encounter, or the environment that surrounds us, and pray Jesus flows right through. Isn't that what Christians should do no matter what continent we are placed on?

We're Jesus-lovers encouraging others to be Jesus-lovers. We teach people how to dig into the Scriptures so they can bring the Good News to their own people. We train Sunday School teachers so they can teach and sing with the children in their own language. We cheer believers on who share the love of Christ with their neighbors. We love our children and theirs. We eat together. And our marriage... oh how I love my husband... and he treats me like royalty. This too is on display. I think I have mentioned all of this before. Forgive the repeat, but we all - myself included - need a reminder of what we're doing here on this ball of Earth held so securely by a great big God.

All any of us are asked to do is love God with all that we've got, and love our neighbor as ourself. I heard a missionary say once, "MYSELF doesn't want to be hungry, so I feed myself. I'm sure my neighbor doesn't want to be hungry either." Obviously we can't feed all of Uganda, and sometimes the needs seem overwhelming. The children that come to my house with their ripped-to-shreds-dresses revealing their protruding collar bones hand me 600 shillings to buy two eggs and break me right apart. So we give like Jesus would, and we tell them of His love.

Something pretty cool that Tyler is doing is continuing a land project that Zane started called GrowTeam. We know a few people with a bunch of land that is just sitting there doing nothing. They have no money or even ambition to invest in the land. Tyler has taught each of them how to begin farming their land. (He knows nothing about farming on his own, but God is awesome and He is teaching Tyler much about farming and business!) These willing people worked out a business plan, received a loan from us, and are really doing quite well!! They are on their way to a self-sustaining farm. There is no Social Security check promised to these people. They have to figure out a way to have income or family to depend on when they reach a point where they are no longer able to work. This farm project is perfect for that. They can get it to a point where they can hire workers to care for it, and they can just manage it. Tyler took the boys out to a farm yesterday that is an hour away from here, and said it is absolutely beautiful! He didn't bring the camera, but I will make sure to post pictures as we take them. This one particular farm belongs to Bismark's mom. She has lived in a refugee camp for the past 25 years. She was able to move back to her home and now has a source of income because we set her up for $350. Her other son is taking care of the farm with that money: plowing, seed, paying laborers, etc. He's been faithful, and is now reaping the rewards. His mom was so blessed, she gave Tyler a chicken! REALLY! She also said she wants to know our God in a greater way. Pray for her? She knows no English, so we are praying for Bismark to share the Truth of the gospel with her.

Tyler and Bob

So, that's what we're doing "ministry-wise." We absolutely love it here. Really. Even though ease and rest and comfort flew out the airplane window and landed somewhere in the depths of the Atlantic a few months back, we wouldn't trade this mud-hut-living for anything. Our beloved Pastor Tony taught us much in Bible School. "Death to Self 101" is really what his School of Ministry should be called. Anyway, a famous quote from him is repeated a lot around here, "I'll sleep when I'm dead." And that's it. While we're here on this Earth, our plan is to keep plugging along behind Jesus' lead. The amazing thing is that when we are in His will, His yoke is easy and His burden is so light.

Julius and Caroline's 2 daughters
Rachel and Dobrilla.
Beauties.

Catherine and Caroline
gathering greens for lunch... with Lilah.

Building Catherine's hut with "earth bags."
It will be move-in-ready this week!

Bismark & Tyler. Always together.

View from my upstairs to the neighbor's house.

A little boy got bit by a dog.
His dad just brought him to us assuming we could help.
Peroxide, bandaids and lollipops work wonders!

If God ever tells us to move back to America,
this girl is coming too.
My sister, Catherine.

Catherine's son, Paulie Boy.
I love him like my own.

Evelyn. She lives around the corner.

Playing with Evelyn's children.
Our children play a big role
in breaking down walls to reach people!

Richard.
 If you remember my story of Pauleen,
this is her brother that told her not to get an abortion.
He works on our property any time he is not in school.

Caroline and her baby Dobrilla.
A huge part of my heart is with this family!

Ivan (orphan boy we're helping)
and Julius working with Abigail and Paul.