Hello all, please pass this update on to others as well!
It has been some time since the last update that I sent. After our day’s activities we find time for rest and discussion. These discussions continue late into the night such that I don’t find the time to sit and write an email update.
We continue to see the hand of God over our activities and the way He is reconciling humanity to Himself and to humanity to each other. The knitting together of Edwin and Janet’s vision with those of the leaders in the community is remarkable. And the way God is glorified and His name amplified is remarkable as people observe our motivation for being here; God’s love shines as something ‘other-worldly’ and people are indeed interested to understand more this LIFE within us.
It is no wonder to me why the Scriptures tell us that we are blessed to be a blessing. As our hearts are motivated by God’s great love over us, His kingdom goes out from us and very literally touches the lives of humanity around us. We are observing this so immediately here as Edwin leads us to love others by caring for their needs. We have embraced children, listened to the stories of widows, welcomed strangers, and provided for the physical needs of many. Through all these actions, I must stress that the actions themselves are ministering God’s grace to the people. The life of Christ in us is clearly touching the hearts of many. Love motivated by His love reaches into the very being of the people in a way that brings about God’s kingdom. God’s goodness is tangible, even palpable.
It is challenging to succinctly describe either the natural events of each day or the supernatural happenings of God’s kingdom. But to testify briefly of God’s goodness I will describe a few such things:
We see God’s kingdom is advancing by…
…the Fon (local king) welcoming the vision of MUSREC and granting land for use on behalf of the children and widows.
…the Fon blessing our work in God’s name, as if God was speaking through the Fon to us.
…the uniting of the mayor to the vision of MUSREC and offering any assistance necessary for the projects at hand.
…the way the mayor is proselytizing on behalf of the MUSREC initiatives to every member of the town council that he introduced us to.
…the assistance of many youth from the church in planting ~80 trees around the town hall, the hospital, and a small local clinic.
…and God’s sending of rain to water the trees soon after completing all the planting.
Today we will welcome all of the orphans and widows to the MUSREC office for a time of being with them collectively and giving them the gifts of books, school fees, backpacks, and foodstuffs. Please continue to pray with us for the advancing of God’s kingdom and the renewing of people’s lives for them to see Christ in them, the hope of glory.
Nathan
Vía the Tapestry Church www.tapestrychurch.com