Fore Dec 2018

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

‘Tis the season! Carols, evergreens, lights, scrumptious sweets, gathering with loved ones and giving—it all fills this time of the year. It is the giving I have been reflecting on recently. Opportunities have abounded for the resident students of Rafiki Village Uganda to give, and they are discovering what a joy it is!

Grass swooshed under scampering feet and shouts of glee filled the air. Students were running from tree to tree collecting guavas to take as gifts to their extended families. Joyce later told me how the guavas were received. “I took almost a full bag of guavas. They liked them and said they were so good. I enjoyed giving them the guavas because we were giving back what God gave us to people who needed them.”

Joyce in a guava tree

Jovan and I were walking the dusty, red road that runs through our Village. He was home from his Catering and Hotel Management Program. “Jovan, what have you enjoyed most as you have gone through this program?” I asked. A smile lit up his eyes, which is not an unfamiliar sight these days. “I love to serve people. It makes me so happy to serve others and help them feel comfortable.” I was speechless. A heart that delights in serving!

Jovan (on the right) with a couple of his caregivers

Caring for orphaned babies, helping the elderly, cleaning a church, and participating in prison ministry—this is how the Grade Level 11 class spent the last several Fridays of the 2018 school year. Martin recalled helping older members of the community and talking with them. “I enjoyed seeing how old people reason and how I can relate with them. I told them about the Gospel. It was sad that some were not Christians.” As Diana reflected on these service days, she said, “All along we have been served and people have been giving to us. Now we get a chance to serve others.”

Grade Level 11

Reflecting on these remarks makes me grateful and teary eyed—our students are getting it! Over their years at Rafiki they have been filled up, covered in prayer, engaged in Bible study, loved on, and cared for in every way. Now they are starting to pour out the care, love, and Gospel that has been faithfully poured into them. Not only that, but they are delighting in the act of giving!

Thank you so very much, dear friends and family, for the ways you have served me. Whether it be through prayer, financial support, or your encouraging words, I pray you too find great joy in the giving.

Merry Christmas!

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