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One of the places we had the joy
of sharing our story last week -
Yates Baptist Church in Durham, NC,
named for Jack's great-great uncle,
an IMB missionary to China. |
“The Story Lives On” – the theme we have been asked to use as our topic while speaking in many churches and groups during the last few months. The first time this occurred, I was not aware that this was the
WMU Emphasis for 2012-2014, nor did I know that the accompanying watchword was “
As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20 NIV).
Someone may have spotted me laughing as I opened the bulletin at our first “The Story Lives On” service. Why? Because God had done it again and I experienced not a co-incidence, but a God-incident! During each Stateside Assignment (STAS), God has led me to my own personal topic for speaking and my guiding scripture this time is found in Acts 4:23-31, the conclusion of the events shared in Acts 4:20.
Now for a bit of honesty: My greatest frustration as I speak is when listeners comment on my being a good speaker and/or my being so passionate. I am very thankful that God created me to be an extrovert, even in front of groups, and that I am good at communicating my thoughts, but I don’t want the focus to be on my being a good speaker or being passionate.
I want the focus to be on the stories which I am blessed to have experienced and heard. They are incredible stories of how God is at work that need to be shared. They are stories that you, our supporters, need to hear; stories of how God has blessed past investments in prayer, giving and serving; stories that will lead to your being passionate about continuing to pray give and serve in our Father’s harvest field!
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| This photo was also considered to illustrate the story.. |
Thus the reason that Acts 4 speaks to me. God uses it to remind me that my job as the Prayer Networker for the Sub-Saharan African Affinity offers me a special gift – the gift of reading the newsletters, blog and Facebook posts, etc., of our IMB co-workers. I get to hear their GOD stories of what they have seen and heard.
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| ...as was this one, which was also saved for another story. |
Then, like Peter and John, I have the opportunity to go
“back to MY own people” (v.23), to you who pray, give and serve with us, and report all that Jack, I and our co-workers among Sub-Saharan Africa Peoples have seen and heard. I get to share reports guiding you in raising your
“voices together in prayer to God” (v. 24) and praying specifically for how God’s servants can “
speak [His} word with great boldness” (v.29), resulting in all Peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa being “
filled with the Holy Spirit and [speaking] the word of God boldly” (v.31). I encourage you to look at this week’s addition to the
Missions Toolbox and the daily
Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples, great sources for these incredible stories of how our Father is at work and how to join in His work through prayer, giving and serving!
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This was the chosen photo to encourage supporters to read the
story of heartbreak experienced by co-workers and how to
support them in prayer. For this story, visit
Nudges to Action for SSAPeoples (link shared at the top of this page). |
Are you beginning to understand why I love my job and why I try to not be frustrated, but thankful for the opportunity to be such a passionate extrovert and share the stories I see and hear? Now two questions for you: What gifts, talents, abilities, etc., has God given to you? How are you using what He has given to you to serve Him and to share with others what you have seen and heard?
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Another photo spotted this week -
the logo of the Baptist Women of Kenya. |
As you ponder these questions, I want to thank you for your prayers for Jack and for me. Jack’s gifts, talents and abilities lead to his passion for education and enabling Believers to be more effective in carrying out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Would you join him in praying for more students at the Kenya Baptist Theological College and for a stronger relationship between the college and the churches of the Baptist Convention of Kenya? Pray for me as I nudge Believers to action (prayer, giving and serving) for the Unreached Peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa. BERT
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A special joy of being on STAS -
'making bubbles' with our granddaughter. |
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