"To Help People to Know God"
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4: 12-13
Friday afternoon just as school was letting out, a large "boom" was heard throughout the neighborhood followed by a chorus of groans. The transformer for our street's electricity had blown again and with it being Friday afternoon, the chances of it being fixed before the weekend were pretty much nonexistent.
For the rest of Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and most of Monday we had no electricity. Now I'm a pretty positive person, and after living in Africa for nearly a year now I've learned to live simply, but after the first sleepless night with no power, I was pretty much done. No fans to provide respite from the intense heat and humidity, no fridge to keep water cold or meats frozen, no way to charge phones after all of our power banks had been depleted- it wears on you after one, two, THREE days. When the power was finally restored yesterday I instantly felt my mood lift. Knowing that I could finally get a good night's sleep and wake up to a fully charged phone and cold water to drink. But even hearing those thoughts go through my head makes me feel embarrassed. Who am I that I have let my happiness depend so much on a fan, a charged phone, and cold water? Who am I to complain about not having electricity for three days when Puerto Rico went without electricity for 11 months? Who am I to complain when my Tanzanian brothers and sisters in the next village have lived their whole lives without it? Who am I? The holy spirit softly whispers, "You are human."
A couple months back, Eunice our head pastor and District Superintendent, approached me about starting an English class for her and the other two pastors who serve our church. At the time I was feeling pretty overwhelmed, but I hesitantly agreed. We decided to meet for an hour on Tuesday afternoons. I found some resources online that were appropriate for adult beginners and assembled folders for each of the pastors. They were so excited at our first class. They had come with their own new notebooks and pens, ready to learn. We started with the basics- greetings, introductions, basic questioning - and with every class the pastors grew more confident in their writing and speaking and more comfortable interacting with me. It was at the end of our fourth class when they nervously looked at each other and said, "Please, madam, we ask you- two days per week." So we decided to add a class on Friday mornings. I suggested that for our second class we could meet at my house and have breakfast together first. Their smiles were huge as they excitedly nodded in agreement. We continued to meet twice per week for a couple weeks before they again nervously asked, "Madam, three times per week is very good." Now it was my turn to smile.
So now the pastors and I meet for English class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. With each class, I can see them growing. Not just in their English ability, but in their confidence, in their relationship with each other, and in their relationship with me. When I see them outside of our class time, they greet me in English and practice whichever skill we had worked on in our last session. These pastors are now my friends, and I am so proud of them. They recognize that in the African world, those who speak English are taken seriously and receive more opportunities than those who don't. They know this and they have chosen to better themselves. I'm so thankful that they trusted me enough to ask for my help and I pray that the work we are doing now will make an impact on their lives and the life of our church.
In our class yesterday we were learning about different jobs and how to ask someone what they do for a living. The closing exercise was to ask someone why they do the job that they do. I asked each of them, 'Why are you a pastor?' They gave answers back in broken English/Swahili and the answer that we all agreed upon was, 'Because I want to help people to know God.' We discussed that we think most people choose their profession at least in some part because they want to help people, but as Christians we can't forget that pastors are not the only people called to help people to know God. All of us are called to help people to know God through whatever profession fits our God given gifts. You may be a teacher or a mechanic or a lawyer or a musician, but first and foremost, you are a child of God, and there is no separation between that title and your professional one. So my question for you is this: Are you helping people to know God through your work? Or do you feel a distinct separation between your work and your identity as a servant of God? If you do, spend some time in prayer. The God who allows us to do all things through him will make a way for you. Of that I have no doubt.
Mungu akubariki,
(God bless you)
Allee
Philippians 4: 12-13
Friday afternoon just as school was letting out, a large "boom" was heard throughout the neighborhood followed by a chorus of groans. The transformer for our street's electricity had blown again and with it being Friday afternoon, the chances of it being fixed before the weekend were pretty much nonexistent.
For the rest of Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and most of Monday we had no electricity. Now I'm a pretty positive person, and after living in Africa for nearly a year now I've learned to live simply, but after the first sleepless night with no power, I was pretty much done. No fans to provide respite from the intense heat and humidity, no fridge to keep water cold or meats frozen, no way to charge phones after all of our power banks had been depleted- it wears on you after one, two, THREE days. When the power was finally restored yesterday I instantly felt my mood lift. Knowing that I could finally get a good night's sleep and wake up to a fully charged phone and cold water to drink. But even hearing those thoughts go through my head makes me feel embarrassed. Who am I that I have let my happiness depend so much on a fan, a charged phone, and cold water? Who am I to complain about not having electricity for three days when Puerto Rico went without electricity for 11 months? Who am I to complain when my Tanzanian brothers and sisters in the next village have lived their whole lives without it? Who am I? The holy spirit softly whispers, "You are human."
A couple months back, Eunice our head pastor and District Superintendent, approached me about starting an English class for her and the other two pastors who serve our church. At the time I was feeling pretty overwhelmed, but I hesitantly agreed. We decided to meet for an hour on Tuesday afternoons. I found some resources online that were appropriate for adult beginners and assembled folders for each of the pastors. They were so excited at our first class. They had come with their own new notebooks and pens, ready to learn. We started with the basics- greetings, introductions, basic questioning - and with every class the pastors grew more confident in their writing and speaking and more comfortable interacting with me. It was at the end of our fourth class when they nervously looked at each other and said, "Please, madam, we ask you- two days per week." So we decided to add a class on Friday mornings. I suggested that for our second class we could meet at my house and have breakfast together first. Their smiles were huge as they excitedly nodded in agreement. We continued to meet twice per week for a couple weeks before they again nervously asked, "Madam, three times per week is very good." Now it was my turn to smile.
So now the pastors and I meet for English class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. With each class, I can see them growing. Not just in their English ability, but in their confidence, in their relationship with each other, and in their relationship with me. When I see them outside of our class time, they greet me in English and practice whichever skill we had worked on in our last session. These pastors are now my friends, and I am so proud of them. They recognize that in the African world, those who speak English are taken seriously and receive more opportunities than those who don't. They know this and they have chosen to better themselves. I'm so thankful that they trusted me enough to ask for my help and I pray that the work we are doing now will make an impact on their lives and the life of our church.
In our class yesterday we were learning about different jobs and how to ask someone what they do for a living. The closing exercise was to ask someone why they do the job that they do. I asked each of them, 'Why are you a pastor?' They gave answers back in broken English/Swahili and the answer that we all agreed upon was, 'Because I want to help people to know God.' We discussed that we think most people choose their profession at least in some part because they want to help people, but as Christians we can't forget that pastors are not the only people called to help people to know God. All of us are called to help people to know God through whatever profession fits our God given gifts. You may be a teacher or a mechanic or a lawyer or a musician, but first and foremost, you are a child of God, and there is no separation between that title and your professional one. So my question for you is this: Are you helping people to know God through your work? Or do you feel a distinct separation between your work and your identity as a servant of God? If you do, spend some time in prayer. The God who allows us to do all things through him will make a way for you. Of that I have no doubt.
Mungu akubariki,
(God bless you)
Allee
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