Philippians 4:4-8
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice! Let your gentleness be made known to all
men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is
anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."
I find Paul's letter to the Philippians to be a great
encouragement to believers in any circumstance.
By encouragement I not only mean an uplifting or comforting feeling, but
a realistic look at the ultimate future with confidence of a good outcome,
though there may be great difficulties now or in the near future. Whether I was reading this passage in
Philippians as a teenager in high school, or having just read it again a couple
weeks ago I find it incredibly encouraging that the Lord calls and enables his
people to rejoice, to pray and give thanks, to have peace, and to meditate on
what is good no matter what may be or what may come.
In the ministry that I believe the Lord has called me to, I
would be dishonest if I said that I never face doubt or fear. There are sometimes questions that arise in
my mind such as, "Is God really calling me to live with the Laarim to
bring the Gospel to them or am I just chasing after my own idea?" or
"Am I really prepared or able to carry out this difficult task?" I
sometimes get anxious when I think about these questions, though these
questions in themselves are not bad. But
I am reminded of the words of God through Paul in Philippians to be anxious for
nothing and to present our requests to God.
When I go to Him in prayer, I am reminded of His faithfulness. Whether I am facing difficult questions,
ambiguous situations, or difficult times, I can rejoice knowing that God sees
my needs and will meet them in His way. The
anxiety comes when I try to figure it all out through my own understanding and
forget to look to Him who is the author and perfecter of my faith. I would not be here if I did not believe the
Lord called me to this work and I am excited about living with and ministering
among the Laarim people. But even if my direction were to unexpectedly change,
whether it be from outside circumstances or a strong conviction that God was
calling me elsewhere, I know that the Lord will enable me to give thanks and
have internal peace. Or if I found
ministry among the Laarim to be far more difficult than I would have imagined, I
would still be able to continue rejoicing in the Lord, meditating on what is
pleasing to Him, and moving forward.
After a month in Uganda, I am back to South Sudan. I was welcomed by a missionary family of five
who just moved back to South Sudan after spending a few years back home. I had met them previously and had been
looking forward to their coming. It is
nice to have some company on the compound.
While I was out Uganda, the temperature in South Sudan dramatically
increased and I came back to temperature highs ranging from 100-113 F. Needless
to say getting good sleep is a bit more difficult. Like in Nebraska, the "winter" here
leaves little green until the rains come, which here is usually in mid-March.
I made my last visit to the Laarim territory during Christmas and the Sudanese church in Juba is sending out their missionary, Pastor Joshua to make a month long visit in March. I will likely be joining him soon after he departs. A couple days ago I felt
that we were struggling to move forward, but I am hopeful about this planned visit. I am seeing
the importance of both patience and persistence: seeking and waiting on the
Lord along with considering and trying different strategies. Having some time out in Uganda has been
refreshing and helped me to renew my focus.
Knowing that the church here, the Laarim people, and I are being prayed
for by believers around the world is a great encouragement. I have much to be thankful for.
Please continue to pray for:
-Effective partnership between AIM missionaries and Africa Inland Church and their missionaries.
-Wisdom for us as we continue to consider strategies for
reaching the Laarim people.
-A continual dependence on Jesus for all that we are doing.
