Someone is watching

2 Timothy 2:1 “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Do you remember hearing the words of Jesus, “…go and make disciples?” That command was given to all of us, not just pastors and missionaries. The test of a true believer. Those who know HIM live to make HIM known. Where do we start? It's simple - wherever you are. We are here in Okahandja and every where we turn there are those who have a knowledge of Jesus Christ, but don’t really understand what it means to “follow” Him. That’s where discipleship steps into the picture. We begin with building relationships with those who are willing and desire to know what living the life of a Christ follower looks like in practice. Once we establish a relationship by getting to know each other, a trust begins to form, and we then have an avenue to gently instill biblical principles and demonstrate Godly character.

Yes, this takes patience, time and energy to even begin to fulfill the command. But, we don’t really have a choice. It’s our Christ-given assignment. Of course, this also requires that we, ourselves are living a God-honoring life. We are called to a high standard. Knowing that others are watching can discourage anyone from fulfilling the assignment of a Discipler. But, we must not let that or anything else deter us from the path.

This past weekend, we invited several of the older boys to come and swim at our house. These are all boys that I’ve had in my Choose to Wait seminar and they also attended our youth event, but Tony didn’t know them and they didn’t know him. Well, now the foundation has been laid for the beginnings of a discipleship group. They horse-played in the pool, kicked the soccer ball around, played Bocce ball, and we laughed and played all afternoon. Sensing that they didn’t want to leave, we invited them to stay for supper. They had never tasted Italian food before. Spaghetti and meatballs disappeared from the table as expressions of gratitude filled the room. Without me asking, several of the boys cleared the table and began washing the dishes. In no time the kitchen was clean. We asked if they wanted to watch a movie. Without hesitation smiles and nods confirmed what I already knew. They watched “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves” and emptied the bowl of M&M’s and peanuts I set out on the table.

As you look at the pictures, please remember to pray for these boys. They are all Christians, but desire to know more and they have the potential to encourage and disciple younger students. They only lack the knowledge and training. Pray for Tony as he leads these boys and for me as I do the same with a group of girls. It’s a a pleasure to work with these students. They are well-mannered and respectful to us, but they have a tough life and are challenged everyday with issues of morality and integrity. They are the future generation and God has His hand on their lives to bring healing to a lost and hurting Africa. Christ working through them is the hope that motivates our work here. (Ephesians 1:15-17)

Gabriel: During a small group session, Gabriel opened up and shared thoughts that I believe were stirring for some time in his heart. “Miss, you don’t know how hard it is for a boy to grow up here in Africa. He tries to study and do his work at school, but all day he knows that soon he will have to go back home. And what does he find there? His mother and father fighting, his father drunk and beating his mother. Who will give him food? He must go to bed hungry and alone and afraid.” Then, he turned to me and spoke these words that I will never forget. “Miss, I want to be the father that you teach us about in Choose to Wait; I want to be the husband that you teach us about.” Those words inspire me every day to keep teaching, keep encouraging and keep loving these young people. We prayed in our small group for all the young children in similar situations and for each other as we commit ourselves to following Christ’s teaching and His example of sacrificial love.

Group picture from left to right: Gabriel, Clinton, Mattheus, Simon, and Dieudonne (one of our CTW teachers. He’s a refugee from Burundi).