I guess I should back-up and preface the comment that I had already written to say: Jack and I do pray often for God’s guidance in our lives and we know that many of you pray this for us, but… Now I will share my first try at beginning this update: Have you ever been astounded by God’s guidance in your life and how He led you to do the RIGHT thing when you had no idea at the time of why this was exactly what you should do?
Last Monday, as I began to post the already prepared day’s photo/comment to the 2011 PRAYER NUDGES FROM EAST AFRICA (1) - a great photo of a kid, which is always loved - I felt compelled to delay the planned Prayer Nudge and create a new one with a photo taken the day before of an “ oft' seen Eastern African scene … that always brings heartbreak to missionaries and a reminder of those in our world with daily burdens such as a shortage of water and back-breaking work – people who often have not heard our Savior’s promise: ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me ... streams of living water will flow from within him’” (John 7:37,38).
At the time, I questioned if I was simply making more work for myself and seeking to delay another job that I didn’t want to do! The next morning as I read a local newspaper, I realized that I had done neither of these things, but had definitely sensed God’s guidance as yesterday was the annual International Water Day – a day to focus on the water issues faced in our world by many people without adequate and clean water. So, I delayed the Prayer Nudge with the child’s photo yet another day (possibly tomorrow) and created a new Prayer Nudge for March 22nd (1) to emphasize a Daily Nation (2) article about "flying toilets" and people praising God for broken pipes, an article you shouldn’t read if you “don't want bad news… but if you want to pray knowledgeably for hurting people in our world, you MUST read.”
Jack share’s this experience of God taking him an unplanned way this last week: “Saturday, I was invited to teach ‘leadership’ to the leaders of Community Baptist Church. I considered sharing all kinds of tools and practical suggestions and bits from my Church Planting Methodology training. Earlier this month, I was trained in a new form of Muslim Evangelism and I was eager to share it! As the leaders assembled that morning, I knew God was leading me a different way – to teach Baptist Beliefs, which I usually teach to seminary students. Of the 40 listed leaders of this barely one year old church , 25 attended the day-long meeting (most of the others work on Saturday). The oldest leader at the training was no more than 35 and amazingly the youngest, the children’s leader, was only 12, but this girl turned out to be the most avid and astute listener. Her questions were penetrating and seeking, as were the questions of the others. At the end of the day, I felt blessed to be asked to teach this group of leaders. I was also certain that though Baptist Beliefs is not the most entertaining subject, God had led me to start training these leaders at this point!”
We know that these events in our lives were the result of prayers – especially your prayers! THANK YOU! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of God’s Work in East Africa and for your joining in His work as you support us in prayer, personnel and finances! BERT
(1) 2011 PRAYER NUDGES FROM EAST AFRICA: http://easternafrica2011prayernudges.blogspot.com/
(2) "Families smile when water pipes burst" – Daily Nation, 11-03-22/p.3 - http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Families+smile+when+water+pipes+burst+/-/1056/1130430/-/x9umv2z/-/index.html
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