Dispatch No. 4

Reids of New Zealand

DISPATCH NO. 4

Saturday November 9th was a day of goodbyes. 

On Saturday morning we said good bye to a couple from New Zealand who had been here three months.  They are of retirement age but still choose to serve the Lord through using the gifts they have been given. When not busy up at Mukinge Hill Academy working on the new addition on the school, Noel was repairing this and that around the mission.  Elaine hosted meals and encouraged others through her quiet thoughtful acts of kindness.

We also were part of the good bye ceremonies for one of the teachers from the Academy.  She had been at the school for seven years but recently accepted a position at one of the government schools.  It was quite the celebration to honour her.  The children were busy all week preparing songs, speeches and cards.  The parents were busy preparing and sending in food and drinks.  The teachers were busy planning games, activities and the schedule of events.  At 2:30 in the afternoon the students and their families started arriving.  The festivities were still going on at 5:30.  It was a treat to be part of this special day.

As the end of the final term of the academic school year approaches we have seen a number of challenges even in the space of time we have been here. Each new situation is covered in prayer here and by prayer partners in our home territories.  We are trusting in God’s direction as the Academy prepares to interview for three new teachers for the 2014 school year, for completion of the new classrooms and to meet the financial needs of the school.

While I am not sure if the official rainy season has started, I can tell you that it is raining on many days. Gone are the sun filled days - replaced with ever more cloud as the day progresses and then usually some rain of some sort. Sounds funny to say that but rain here seems to be like snow back home - comes in many forms. There is the lots of dark clouds, thunder and lightning but only 100 drops - but very large drops - type of rain. There is the clouding over and before you can blink the bucket is emptied over the land - can’t say that it is drops, more like rivers of rain fall out of the sky. There is also the little sun shower - my favourite - no fuss, no muss, just a gentle watering to freshen things up. We will be able to let you know later if our preparations for the rain have been sufficient or whether we have `bailed’ and gone shopping for gear of some sort.
               
At a recent prayer meeting we were all encouraged to remember, when we struggle with what seems to be unanswered prayer, that GOD IS ABLE. We were even given bookmarks with this and the reference to Ephesians 3:20 : God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.  We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking something is beyond what God can do but to know that God can do immeasurably more than anything we can imagine is a reassuring promise. So when we are frustrated with power outages in the middle of teaching computer classes or when we struggle with learning even a little of the local language or wonder if we are making a difference we can be confident that God is able to use us to serve His purposes here.  We see how our lives are being transformed to be more effective.