Written by AN EPD ALLIANCE international worker
Due to the creative needs of our situation, we cannot say who we are, but I think some in the district may refer to us as “the family with a lot of children serving in the Africa Region.”
It has been about 16 months since we left the lovely land of Pennsylvania, and we do miss it. We have been encouraged to see how back home you have been caring for and providing for the young family that will be teaching our kids for two years. You have joined in this new work by partnering with them and with us. It is a joy to work with you!
What have we been up to?
We spent the last 16 months in Quebec, Canada studying French and making the preparations to open a new aXcess site in Africa. We have really seen God at work in building our capacity to learn French. Whether we were tired, caring for sick kids, or were sick ourselves, God has given us the grace to learn French.
This past year one of us led mental health workshops for a French Bible school. We looked at the Bible’s teachings regarding the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit’s work in us to confront the lies in our lives. The other of us, who is a physician, had the opportunity to build French medical vocabulary by shadowing a French-speaking physician. The kids enjoyed their time at school with activities like snowshoeing, skiing, curling, hiking, biking, and art projects.
How do you see Jesus working?
Jesus is calling us deeper into prayer as the strategy for this work. When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that Jesus persisted in prayer (Luke 5:16). Jesus’ time with the Father and His filling of the Holy Spirit were essential for the work He did. We are not greater than Jesus and so we too need to be going to the Father in prayer. This is not just a list of requests, rather it is prayer in which we dwell in the presence of God and receive what He is saying.
Jesus also said that He could only do what He saw the Father doing and say what the Father gave Him to say (John 5:19). We need this close relationship with our Heavenly Father to know what to do and what to say. It is easy to say that we will be “opening a new field” but, really, we are simply responding to what God is already doing.
What is coming up?
We leave for Africa this month. We are grateful for a few other international workers who are flying in ahead of us to pick us up from the airport and help us find housing. They will not be staying long, but their help is so appreciated! We will also be working on developing a language training program for ourselves in the local language (a dialect of Arabic).
During the next two years of language study, one of us will be working with a national physician in a consultative role and begin caring for women in need. Another part of our job will be to build relationships and explore what future ministry will look like in this country. We imagine this will involve sharing lots of meals and cups of tea with new neighbors and friends.
How can you be praying?
You can pray that we will do and say what God would have us do and say.
You can pray for a continued filling of the Holy Spirit and a deepening relationship with Jesus.
We need more team members! Please pray for a team to join us.