Friday, October 20, 2017

October 20, 2017

October 27, 2017




A couple of weeks ago I was riding in the pickup with Paul on the way to town.  I’ve been helping Paul come up with various ideas to support himself financially while doing ministry, and on this day it involved transporting his ground nuts to Torit to be sold.  The long car rides with Paul are always rewarding.  Sometimes we talk about things like Lopit prepositions to improve my language skills, sometimes we talk about Sonship and the gospel, and other times we talk about some real nuts and bolts ministry stuff.

On this day we had been talking about some of the issues going on in the Lopit church, and were brought to conviction about loving people in the church who are hard to love (or even be patient with), and I was thanking God for such good opportunities for discipleship on this trip…I thought this trip couldn’t get any better!

Then the trip back home happened.  About halfway home Paul said “I need to get your input on something with the church.”  I had no idea what he might be talking about, so I just said “Okay.”  Then Paul said “Our church is starting about four new churches, but in two of the places there are no men.  Can those groups be led by women?  Or should I be leaving my church on Sundays to lead those groups?”

It was a good question, but my response was “Wait, you’re starting what?!”  So often we feel like nothing happens here unless we are the ones to initiate it, and here is Paul breaking it to me that they have Bible study groups meeting in four of the surrounding villages, and he is struggling with the doctrinal issues involving leadership!  Paul also has a small group of men (and boys) whom he is discipling, so I encouraged him to urge those guys to take some leadership in the new groups.  Praise the Lord that His Spirit is working in our absence.  Nobody told Paul that he should be starting churches!

Paul also asked me recently to start doing some kind of “Bible School” with him.  He said he doesn’t want to leave the village to go to Bible School in Kenya or Uganda, because he wants to be here in the village with the church.  He asked me to do some informal Bible training and asserted that “I don’t need a diploma or certificate, I have enough of those that don’t help me.”  Even so, we’re working with some other missionaries in the area on a way to train pastors in the village, but do it through a local Bible School so it will be officially recognized.

Pray that God gives us wisdom about encouraging and training guys like Paul in a meaningful way, and that the churches he’s starting would flourish and have organic leadership!

The work on our house is almost done!  I’m hoping to be finished and have everyone back here learning language by the end of November.  Pray that God provides for the work (I don’t know how to do most of what’s left!) and that we have the funds we need to finish everything without delays.
My mom used to ask us every year what we wanted for our birthday supper, I remember always picking the same thing…her home made pizza.  For Ezekiel’s fifth birthday he really wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich…


Thanks for your partnership!

Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb