Glorify God in the Mundane

Here is the latest post from the team on the other blog.  Continue to pray for them.  It sounds like they have had a great start to the entire trip.  Can't wait to be out there with them a week from today.

Jason

We made it out to the JamesGribbleLeadershipCenter today, and it’s a beautiful location set on a small hill in the middle of nowhere. Jack remarked that it looked a little like Appalachia (but with different trees).

Dr. Ngoumape greeted us and prayed over us in Sango, which was an emotional moment for several in the team. After receiving a tour that included interrupting just about every class, we got to work. Steve, Andy, and Jeff worked on painting ceiling tiles and putting together window shutters. Jack and Josh sanded and varnished doorframes and windows, and Jason, Doug, and Bruce hung doors in the same duplex. It poured a few times during the day, but since we were mostly inside, it felt nice to be cooler than normal. The locals think it is cold, but the thermostat at the mission station read 76 F when we got back this afternoon.

Everyone has been healthy and eating very well. No big news in this area but I’m sure our wives would like to hear that we are doing well physically and taking our medications. We are grateful for and covet your prayers.

We had a very insightful conversation with Ginger about Hand in Hand schools and Project Hope and Charite most of the afternoon. I think our eyes were even more opened to the need around us and to the amazing resilience of the African people.

- A small boy and girl walking 4 miles each day just to get to go to school and being the top in their class at the same time.

- Erma (one of the housekeepers) talking care of 8 children (most of them not hers) as do most families in the CAR

- Children at PHC clapping for a child who receives a gift from their sponsor instead of taking it as others around the city would do.

- The government schools trying to find out how the children are taught so much better than in their schools (Ginger’s answer: phonics, simple math, and the Bible)

- The generosity of the African churches which causes tight financial controls in order to keep the schools running.

We talked about “Glorifying God in the mundane” of life during our team devotional time tonight. It may seem easy to serve God while on a mission trip, but how do we see God in the boring or painful events of life? Can we trust He is in control? How do we give Him glory? Do you recognize the hand of God and how it shapes your character through co-workers who complain or “bad circumstances” (at least our definition of “bad”)?

The power was out for a while this evening, so I almost didn’t get to send out this update. Let me just say, that I could type pages of information and only begin to scratch the surface of what was seen and heard today.