As the students came to get sized for their graduation gowns, I had time to chat with them. One of our students works at the orphanage just up the street from us. Many of the staff there have been through our 10 month training program. I asked her how the things were going at the orphanage, she smiled and said that no kid has been to the hospital in 3 months. I asked her why, was it because they were praying for them and she said, 'yes, we have pastors there now.' The caretakers are still the same, it's not like they fired all of them and hired only pastors, but, because of the training they have been through they now know how to pray in a different way, and to care for the kids in a different way, and because of that the orphanage is now a healthier place for the babies and kids to grow in love! I said, praise God! She smiled a big smile and said, yes, we praise God for that!
These are the types of testimonies we love to hear! It's beautiful and a blessing to be able to hear of fruit from the planting of seeds in the hearts of church workers. It's our labor of love and it's awesome to see it effects so many people, from the tiniest, most forgotten of babies, to pastors of churches with hundreds of people. And to think people in the states are writing checks once a month, or maybe they even have their money automatically sent to support us each month, potentially they can even forget that each month they are investing in transforming lives in a far away place. So, if you are one of our regular financial supporters, when your money leaves your hands this month and goes to some little church in California, who then sends to some missionaries in some strange place called Jinja, where the river Nile begins it's journey to the Mediterranean, take time to praise God with us that He can use even that small (or big) act of faithfulness to impact deeper and broader than you can imagine. Because He is doing more than we can ask or imagine, with $20 or with a smile, or with a simple class on marriage.
We were studying with our workers the story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish and feeding over 4,000 men plus their families. He asked the disciples, what do we have to give this crowd to eat, and they told him they had only 7 loaves and some fish. But what they did have, they handed over to Jesus, who gave thanks and started breaking and distributing and there were 7 large basketfuls left over, (they had leftovers!?! Like it wasn't enough just to feed everyone) and I guess the disciples were just in awe and wonder.
Let me encourage you today, that whatever it is that you have, as little as it may seem, offer it to Jesus with thanksgiving and let Him do whatever necessary and you will see the glory of God at work in your life. I'm not just saying money, I'm saying, any talent or gift you have, any kind word, or small prayer you can muster up, just give it up to the kingdom and watch Jesus do the work that only He can do. He will blow you away with His faithfulness when you are faithful with whatever small treasure He has given you.
We had our graduation on the 9th of April, and we had a great time celebrating with these students. What an honour to hear testimonies of students impacted and their impacting the people of their congregations, because of something they learned from our school, some move of God on their hearts in our 10 months of interacting.We were so humbled by it all.
