Farmers

Introducing Team Nuer!

Jared & Keisha, Christina, Laura, Cassandra & Blaise

(plus the 3 kiddos not pictured: Aiden, Ben, and Brooke)

After just our first week of training, I am so thrilled to be partnering with these people in South Sudan. I can already see how each person has such a different personality, but how each one of us is so vital to the team. I am way pumped! 

God has graciously allowed me to spend so much more time in prayer this week than I have in a long time. When I realize how much time was actually spent, it doesn't feel like it was nearly as long as it really was, which is awesome since I have always struggled with praying more than 10 min at a time. I can already see God moving in certain situations. This week was basically spent preparing for the vision trip we are taking next Saturday, March 16th. We will be gone for 12 days, and I am so excited. I am excited to finally make it to this land I have heard so much about yet truly know nothing of the reality of it all. I am excited yet very nervous about facing it all for the first time. I keep fearing that I will get there and realize that I will just not be able to do it... but I must keep trusting God for the strength and courage to carry me through.

During training this week one of the verses we studied was Proverbs 20:4 "The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing." In the past, I had viewed many verses like this very literally. If the soil is not prepared, then even if a seed is sowed, it is very likely that no harvest will come. But this week it was pointed out that it can be applied to many areas of life, not just agriculture. I began to see this passage in light of sharing the gospel with others. We cannot expect to just see a harvest of believers if we do not do the work preparing the soil, or in other words, being intentional in working on relationships with those whom we want to witness to. It was also pointed out that we must realize that it may be many long and difficult years for us to see results, or personally we may never see the desired results at all. But we still must be faithful farmers, intentionally plowing the fields in preparation for the seed to one day be planted. This passage was especially key to the team as we prepare to go into a land with different soil, both literally and figuratively. We must learn both how to grow crops in this different physical soil as well as how to reach out to build relationships with this very different culture. We must not become discouraged if we do not see any of our hard plowing work pay off. It may be years down the road before any salvation comes to Nasir, South Sudan. Whether we see thousands of South Sudanese won over for Christ or we see very difficult times and our number of Christ followers is zero, we will continue to praise Him and give Him all the glory and honor, for He alone is worthy. 

As we prepare over the next week to go to South Sudan, I would be honored if you would join with me and the team as we pray for:

• Team Unity
• Increased time spent in the word and prayer
• Clear minds to learn many new things
• protection from attacks of the enemy
• guidance from the Holy Spirit
• Travel mercies
• Ultimately, for God to be glorified through our short time in South Sudan