NTM

Reaching Out

When consulting my calendar today, I was surprised to see that it has only been 5 weeks since I last wrote you! So much has happened in that time that it seemed to me that I had let more time slip away. I usually try to write about once a month so I was pleased when I discovered that I had not been too terribly lax.

A few weeks ago the Simbari Bible teachers started teaching the chronological Bible lessons and literacy classes in a new village. This village is the hub of the Simbari tribe. There is an airstrip, a community school, and a medical clinic there. The Bible teachers were invited there in order to teach Bible and literacy classes in the community school and they also planned to teach in the community market area. This has been a wonderful open door and the school students as well as their teachers have been eating up the teaching and asking for more.

The teaching in the community market area hasn’t gone as well. The first few days, people were curious but after that people began ignoring them and one day a man got up early and went around the village saying that the white missionaries want to confuse people about the truth of God’s word and encouraging people not to listen to the Bible teaching. This man belongs to another religious group that doesn’t teach the gospel. The Bible teachers listened to this man’s talk for a time and not wanting to argue, they decided that it would be better to leave. They are still traveling to this village to teach in the school but instead of teaching in the market area, they hope to find someone who will invite them to teach in their home.

Please be praying for the Simbari Bible teachers and their families. There are just four of them right now and they have a big responsibility and face obstacles that we missionaries don’t have to face and yet they are eager and willing to do it. For example, the Simbari people survive by living off the land and yet they don’t have gardens in the other village so they either have to carry all their food with them or buy whatever is available in the local market. (They don’t have much money and sometimes there isn’t a lot of food available to buy.) Last week the two Bible teachers who went took 11 sweet potatoes with them. That’s their main food staple and they eat it at every meal. They ran out of sweet potato on Tuesday but as one of the teachers shared in church yesterday, God showed his power to them and a woman came and brought them some food. Although I’m sorry for the hardships they have to endure, how good it is to see them trusting God and seeing God providing for them!

The Bible teachers also have to leave their families behind. It is too far to take the wives and children back and forth every week and the wives must stay behind to work the gardens and feed the children. Therefore, the wives also face hardship. On top of all of that, when the teachers return home, they have the responsibility of teaching and leading the fellowship in the village here. Pray for these families as they do God’s work among the Simbari people.

Prayer Requests

There have been outbreaks of cholera and what they are calling swine dysentery in our area. Two children in our tribe have died with what may have been the symptoms of cholera but we haven’t heard about any other cases. Pray that these diseases would be contained before they spread and pray for those in neighboring tribes who are battling these diseases with limited resources.

Pray for wisdom as we work through various issues that come up in the church.

The second comprehension check is done on Romans 9-16. Only 1 more to go! Next up: The book of Ephesians.

Thank you for your prayers.

Lori

“I say, and say it deliberately, trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of Faith… It is through trials that Faith is exercised and developed more and more.”  George Mueller

Just a Spectator
We returned to the tribe from our break last week to hear more stories from the believers about God’s protection, healing, and care. In church this week there seemed to be an added degree of enthusiasm. The singing time was longer and they sang two new songs that one of the believers wrote and taught to the others while we were away. The time of sharing also went longer with many sharing about God’s protection and about what they learned from the day’s Bible lesson. When taking turns reading scripture portions for the group, I was surprised when two men whom I had never heard read before, read quite fluently from the Bible. I didn’t even know that one of them could read! I often feel like I am just a spectator here. I’m not really doing anything noteworthy. God is the One who is doing something wonderful and I’m just privileged to be able to be here to see it happen.

As I looked around the room, I was especially encouraged as I watched the children. During the singing time, they clapped their little hands and sang along. One mother patted her baby’s bottom in time to the beat. One toddler whose mother has recently started coming to church, watched her mother’s face intently as she sang. Most of the children stayed quiet and listened through the entire Bible lesson. I’m thrilled to think that these children are growing up with privileges that their parents never had. They have Christian parents to guide them. They have portions of the Bible and songs of worship in their own language. They have the opportunity to sit under consistent Bible teaching. These little ones are the future of the Simbari church and as I sat there, I prayed for them.

A Bit of Company
I have a new addition to my household. His name is Percy. I decided to keep one of Daisy’s kittens so that she would have a bit of company when I am away. Of course, he’s “a bit of company” for me, too. When I told the tribal people that I have 2 cats now so that the one won’t get lonely, they thought that was very amusing. It’s novelty enough that I should keep one cat and treat it like a member of the family but two cats! I joke with them that my cats are like my children so I think they found it very funny that my “family” is growing.

I, in turn, found it quite amusing to see one of our believers carrying around his piglet like a baby. Every time I turned around, he or his wife was cradling it and petting it and even perching it with its front hooves on their shoulders. I could just imagine them burping it! They also named it. I said, “When it gets big, are you going to eat it?” They said, “Yes”. I said, “You will be sad when it is time to kill it.” “Oh”, they said, “we will have a friend kill it for us and we won’t watch.” Poor little piggy!

Prayer Requests
Praise the Lord for a time of refreshment on my break and that I was able to talk to my family. It’s always so good to hear their voices!
Pray for me as I work on checking the translation of Romans 9-16. I also have many literacy materials to prepare and print in preparation for another literacy school which will be taught in another village.

Feel free to write me with your prayer requests any time!

Your co-worker in Christ,
Lori

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?” – David Livingstone