Remember the Poor

We received the following e-mail last week.  Thought we would share the enthusiasm with you!  (And yes, the title of this post was the subject line of the e-mail!)

Check this out and see the winning bid.  That winning bid is for OUR orphans.

When I saw that several of these trivets had sold on ebay, I took ours to the e-bay store.  They said hopefully we would get between $75 and $100.  They also said, “but you never know.”

Yesterday the bid on our item was at $15.49.  I asked God to please bring a good bid for HIS orphans.  This morning it was at $96.51 and I was pretty happy.  The bidding was to close this afternoon.  I thought it would probably go up a few more dollars in the last minutes of bidding.  I thought maybe we would make it just over $100.  I just checked and look what I found!!!!!!!!

$153.61 🙂

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. ~Jesus

Another couple e-mailed us this week to let us know they’d be eating rice and beans at all 3 meals once each week.  With the saved grocery money?…they’re sponsoring two more orphans!

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ~Jesus

And when (people) stop being afraid they rediscover their compassion.

~Barbara Wilberforce in Amazing Grace

Jesus tell us in Luke 12:32, “Fear not, little flock…”  What instruction follows his words telling us to be unafraid?  “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.”  Hmmm…do you suppose He knew that we might develop some anxiety or fear over selling our possessions?!

In selling some of my possessions, I’ve experienced some separation anxiety, but have also found it to be a bit like ripping off a bandaid.  For just a moment, it stings.  And then… relief! I’ve found two things to be helpful in this process:

1.  A good cheerleader.  I have several friends who have gone before me, who have cheered for me as I parted with “a few of my favorite things.”

2.  An eternal perspective.  I can’t keep it anyway, right?!  In fact, Jesus pointed to this eternal perspective right after telling us to be unafraid.  “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Ah, so I can sell my things here and give to those in need… without suffering any loss!  He has promised me his kingdom.

We’re told in Acts 2:45 that after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they were selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

And then, the best part…

In Acts 4:34, we’re told that so much grace was upon them, that as a result of all the believers selling their possessions, “There was not a needy person among them.“

Oh, God, give us that grace.

shared by Cindy May

When we were in Uganda a few years ago, we were in a very poor area of Nkumba, evangelizing, and we met a young woman who excitedly walked us to a nearby home to meet another member of her family, Rose, who had a little boy named Andrew.  We prayed for him while we were there, said we would look for help, and a few days later we flew home.

Andrew- July 2006

I did look for help for a while–contacted some ministries who might be able to donate the needed surgery– but not getting anywhere, I let my busy life take over.  And I forgot…forgot even to pray.

Until the Holy Spirit reminded me about Andrew this past week.  And then I feared the worst.

I asked Seggy if he would check on him and his family.  He did and here is what he wrote:

Hi Cindy, it’s wonderful that Andrew still lives. His head is still not normal size so he cannot balance. Currently he is very helpless.  His mother would love him to go to school but it’s difficult since he can not even taken himself to the toilet. So he spoils his pants wherever he is.

Cindy, this family really needs to be helped.  His father abandoned the family & Rose has not been able to find work. Let’s support the family with food and also find a sponsor for Andrew’s little sister, Joan, who is ready for school.

I am flooded with relief, but I am also ashamed.  Ashamed that I saw the need and that I did not do what I would have done if Andrew were my own child. Ashamed of the way in which I represented Jesus.  Is this who they think Jesus is?–Someone who preaches love and walks away and does nothing?  Ashamed that Andrew and his family have suffered an additional 3 years because of my disobedience.  I did not love as Jesus loved me. (John 13:34)  I knew the right thing to do and did not do it, so for me it was sin. (James 4:17)

Proverbs 24:12 says,  “If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?”

I knew.

Photo 2009: Andrew was born Sept 12, 2000...that means he is 8 years old. It looks to me like his little body hasn't grown at all since we were there nearly 3 years ago.

Just before I went in the hospital in August of 2007, not knowing what was wrong with me,  I asked Frank if he would be my advocate. (Frank did a fabulous job, by the way!  I’m still amazed at how little he slept, how much he gave, how much he prayed, how many notes he took, and how many doctors he chased down!) I think if Andrew could speak, he would ask me to be his advocate.

First and foremost, I am praying.  I am asking God to heal Andrew–for God’s glory, that Andrew’s family may see the splendor and majesty of the living God and worship Him who gives eternal life.  Also, Frank and I will personally participate in providing health care.  (Yep, we’re still selling stuff [Luke 12:33], and we’re looking for a cheaper place to live to free up income to be given.)  And as his advocate, we’ll ask you to help, too.

Rose (mom) holding Simon, Andrew, and sister Joan

Will you join us in praying for Andrew’s healing and in reaching out to Andrew’s family and helping them with food, Andrew’s medical bills and schooling for Joan?   May they know we are his disciples by our love.  (John 13:35) May our love be sincere and exemplary. May it be not just good, but excellent, so that we may be filled with the fruit of righteousness.  May God alone be glorified, and may Rose and her whole family come to know the life-giving love of Jesus.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. Ezekial 16:49

A friend recently asked us, “What was the sin of Sodom?”  Yes, the Sodom of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Sodom that was utterly destroyed by God.  Their sin was pride, excess of food, prosperous ease, and a failure to aid the poor and needy.

In other words, they had the means, and they didn’t do it. If anyone has the means today to help the poor and the needy, it is us!

The average American earns anywhere from 52 to 105 times more than the average person in the rest of the world who earns less than $2/day. Are you kidding me?! And that’s if we happen to earn an average income of $38,611.*  If we earn more, the disparity may be even greater!

I recently listened to a sermon and the pastor said, “I know what you’re all thinking… you can’t live in America on $2/day”.  So he asks the fitting question, “Alright then, how many of you will go live in the slums of Kolkata on $2/day?  Any takers?”

The cost of living is really NOT different in other parts of the world.  In some cases, like Uganda, things like food and fuel are MORE expensive!  The truth is, the rest of the world can’t live on $2/day any better than we can.

They just live without…sufficient food, clean water, running water, hot water, showers, toilets, dishwashers, washing machines, health care, vacations, hobbies, life insurance, retirement accounts, heating and/or cooling, electricity, cars, and sometimes even without homes.  It’s not pretty, but that is the truth.

Below are the faces of a few of a few of the poor and needy.  You can see more of them on the sidebar on the right side of the site.  Under “Current needs”, you’ll see the “catalog” as well as “waiting children”.  When you click on the photo of each child in the waiting children section, you can read a little about him or her.

John Mugabi arrives in the U.S. this week.  While he’s here, we’re asking the Lord to provide (among other things) sponsors for these 39 children.  We’d be perfectly delighted if we “ran out” of children this week and moved on to the next 39.  We may not yet know their names or recognize their faces, but our God in heaven certainly does.

The cries of afflicted and needy people rise before God.  And he hears. And he knows.

Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. Genesis 18:20-21

For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it. Genesis 19:13

… the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. James 5:4

Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning… God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. Exodus 2:23-25

*The Hole in Our Gospel, pg 121~ Richard Stearns, President of World Vision

A letter from Grace Nsubuga

My Father is not dead!!

I used to think that my father was not alive until my aunt recently told me that he is living on the Islands of Lake Victoria.

I asked what he was doing, and she said he raises cows for someone. I really did not understand how a man who was once rich, who lived in Kampala (capital city), is now on the Island (poor) doing nothing but raising someone’s cows!!

I remembered those good days when I was still called a child at home, and compared those days to all the time I started struggling as a teen—left on my own!!!!!!!!

I was asking where in this life will I ever find someone to take charge of my life? For this life had become meaningless.  I felt unloved and I saw no reason for living.

Nevertheless, I am now feeling loved again. Pastor John, the man God used to fetch me out of all my mess, recently after the Bible Club hugged me and told me, “I love you.”

John and Grace Nsubuga

To some of you this will not make sense, yet it has become my best day since I joined the Nkumba Ministry.

To my dear sponsor, you mean a lot to me, and may God bless you so many times.  Sometimes I sit in class among many other students, and this makes me feel loved again.

All my hopes were gone and I was left on my own, but today I feel I matter.  You have made me a somebody.  Please pray for me that I will pass well my studies and serve the Lord and our world well.

Grace Nsubuga

But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.

I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints. Psalm 52:8-9

Growing Bible Club with the high school students- John Mugabi standing in the white shirt

John Mugabi:  One of the Ministries I would like to report on is the Food Program.  It has a lot of life in it and it has drawn so many to Christ.  They come to eat physical food, but end up eating the Spiritual food as well.

Thank you so much for all this.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 2 Cor 9:12-13

John Piper shared the following in a recent sermon:

Listen to this simple word from Acts 4:34–There was not a needy person among them.”  That doesn’t mean they were all rich.  In fact, Paul was raising money because there was so much poverty in Jerusalem.  It means that when one was struck, everybody pitched in.  Folks, that’s not a 2000 year old idea.  That’s real or I’m out of here!  You don’t have some Christians in need, while others have plenty.  (2 Cor 8:13-15) That’s what the church is!

Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Ephesians 5:23

The church is global…it’s the body of Christ.  There is only ONE body and ONE church!

This is what part of Christ’s body looks like!

Revolution in World Missions

pg. 83  Why do you think God has allowed you to be born in North America…and to be blessed with such material abundance?  In light of the superabundance you enjoy here, what do you think is your minimal responsibility to the untold millions of lost and suffering in the Two-Thirds World?

While much of the world is concerned mainly about where its next meal is coming from, affluent North Americans spend most of their wages and waking moments planning unnecessary purchases.

pg. 85,86  Throughout Scripture, we see only one correct response to abundance: sharing.  God desires equity between His people on a worldwide basis. That is why the early church had no poverty.

The Bible advocates and demands that we show love for the needy brethren.  Right now, because of historical and economic factors that none of us can control, the needy brethren are in Asia (and Africa and other nations).  The wealthy brethren are in the U.S., Canada and a few other nations.  The conclusion is obvious:  These affluent believers must share with the poorer (congregations).

John Mugabi:  One of the Ministries I would like to report on is the Food Program.  It has a lot of life in it and it has drawn so many to Christ.  They come to eat physical food, but end up eating the Spiritual food as well.

Thank you so much for all this.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 2 Cor 9:12-13

John Piper shared the following in a recent sermon:

Listen to this simple word from Acts 4:34–There was not a needy person among them.”  That doesn’t mean they were all rich.  In fact, Paul was raising money because there was so much poverty in Jerusalem.  It means that when one was struck, everybody pitched in.  Folks, that’s not a 2000 year old idea.  That’s real or I’m out of here!  You don’t have some Christians in need, while others have plenty.  (2 Cor 8:13-15) That’s what the church is!

Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Ephesians 5:23

The church is global…it’s the body of Christ.  There is only ONE body and ONE church!

This is what part of Christ’s body looks like!

Revolution in World Missions

pg. 83  Why do you think God has allowed you to be born in North America…and to be blessed with such material abundance?  In light of the superabundance you enjoy here, what do you think is your minimal responsibility to the untold millions of lost and suffering in the Two-Thirds World?

While much of the world is concerned mainly about where its next meal is coming from, affluent North Americans spend most of their wages and waking moments planning unnecessary purchases.

pg. 85,86  Throughout Scripture, we see only one correct response to abundance: sharing.  God desires equity between His people on a worldwide basis. That is why the early church had no poverty.

The Bible advocates and demands that we show love for the needy brethren.  Right now, because of historical and economic factors that none of us can control, the needy brethren are in Asia (and Africa and other nations).  The wealthy brethren are in the U.S., Canada and a few other nations.  The conclusion is obvious:  These affluent believers must share with the poorer (congregations).

When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (hanged 64 years ago today.)

Oh the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live

The enemy is a liar.  One lie he wants us to believe is that life–satisfaction, happiness, joy– exists in our possessions–our homes, our cars, our toys, our stuff.  But that’s not true!  True life is found in Jesus and Jesus alone–in loving Him and in loving others.  Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15

Carol, an orphan sponsored in 2007 (photo 2007)

I was reading through an old blog post I wrote in February of 2008, and it’s even more true today:

If I could summarize our experience over the last 6 (now 20!) months, I would use just one word…JOY!  I am left without words that adequately describe what God has done for us in changing our perspective on money and “stuff”.  He has set us free from the bondage we were in, and we are SO grateful.  His grace is amazing.

We’ve been going through (and will continue to) a process of surrender.  And what I’d like to share is that it hasn’t been painful, but joyful!  I think when we look at surrender from the outside, pressing our noses against the glass to “look in” and figure out how we might feel if we did surrender or give up those favorite possessions of ours, it looks “icky“.

Satan is the father of lies, and he wants to deceive us into thinking that what is joyful is actually icky.  Isn’t that mean?!  I want to share my new-found perspective, that it is not in fact “icky“.  The truth is, it is full of delight.  And the truth sets us free.  Every act of obedience is followed by blessing, and nothing is better than being blessed by God.  It is truly delightful!

Carol- April of 2009--recently shared with Esther (Mugabi) her desire to become a nurse. She is growing in maturity and in her walk with the Lord.~ Brother John

Jesus vividly described what it’s like when we discover true wealth:  The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  (Matthew 13:44) …Having seen the value of this great treasure…, he sold all he had to obtain it.  Did the sacrifice pain him?  Should we feel sorry for him that the treasure cost him everything?  No!  “In his joy,” he sold all to obtain the treasure. Money, Possessions & Eternity– pg 94/95

The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ…

Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die… It is the same death every time… the death of the old man at his call. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:15

Dear friends,

Greetings from Uganda. By God’s Grace we are well.

Yesterday after prison ministry, since I do not have a car, I decided to walk a distance before boarding a taxi. As I was walking, tired and thinking, a car stopped right by my back and out came two men.  They asked,  “Are you pastor John?”

John Mugabi (in blue next to guard) bringing food supplies to a prison

I said yes, and they said “We both were in prison and we used to see you come, and sometimes we could listen to your preaching, but we never responded.  Pastor John, could you please come with us for lunch?”

I wanted to turn their offer down, but I felt the Holy Spirit was telling me to go and eat with them. (Cindy’s editorial note:  If John at first felt like turning them down, he had to be DEAD TIRED!  His favorite place to be apart from his family is with prisoners.)

Finally we got to the place and food was served. One of the guys Tom made a major confession. “Is it possible for me to accept Jesus here and now?”  I said yes and he got down on his knees.  And this man came to Jesus!

He told me that ever since he came out of prison, he was feeling an emptiness in his heart and has been restless.  He gave me an invitation to go and reach out to his family.

Dear friends, we should not give up on doing good.  Doing good is godly and in time God pays it back. Our job is to sow seeds after which we pray and watch God do the rest.  We should not resist doing the will of God, which is in doing good.

I hope this testimony will bless your lives.
Brother John Mugabi.

Remember at the beginning, John said, “Since I don’t have a car…”  Want to help buy the ministry a truck?!  It is so desperately needed as they travel thousands of miles to 10 different prisons, some in remote locations, to carry out the ministry of evangelism.  We are half-way there!  We have $7000 and just need $7000 more to buy a (used) truck!

Check out the catalog page (HUGE thanks to our volunteer, Teresa, for creating this catalog!) in the sidebar at right to see the items we’re currently asking God to provide…through His people of course!

As Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, has said, “We are the ones who will bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, and stand up for justice in a fallen world.  We are the revolution.  We are God’s Plan A…and He doesn’t have a Plan B.” *

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Matthew 9:37-38

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15

*From A Hole in our Gospel, page 277

You will notice another new change on the sidebar…a link to Katie’s Blog.  We’ve featured several of her posts here.  We LOVE reading her blog, and I know many of you do as well.  Every time I read one of her posts, I think, “Ooooh…I’d like to share that one!”  So instead of trying to pick and choose, now there’s a link!  If you aren’t addicted to her blog yet, check it out and you soon will be. 🙂  Her post from yesterday (4/2) is particularly amazing.

For those of you who don’t know her background, she’s 20 and living in Uganda, the mother of 13 (or is it 14?!) orphaned children–only God could orchestrate this!

I’m not done YET!  There is another wonderful opportunity to store up treasure in heaven.  Bryan and Andrea Thiele are in the process of bringing home (adopting) 3 orphans from Ethiopia.  This will bring them to a total of 9 (4 biological, 5 adopted).  Maybe they are trying to keep up with Katie?!  They are raising the funds to complete the adoption. They are accepting cash of course!  And they are also having another mammoth garage sale 4/23-4/26 (in AZ).  To contribute, contact Andrea.  You can read about it on their blog.

The following is a letter recently shared by Daniel Kibalama.  John (Mugabi) introduced Daniel to us (via e-mail) in June of 2008.  Shortly thereafter Daniel was sponsored and now attends University.

Before you read the letter from Daniel, however, here is what John had shared with us (in June) about Daniel’s background:

Daniel has had a difficult life.  We came to know him because his father is in prison.  As such, he has been a victim of his father’s problems. This boy has been rejected by everyone in the village.

I have kept him for a year and can now introduce him to you.   He was to join University but his father’s problems got him off to a bad start…no school fees,  no shelter, no food.  He really suffered rejection until we met him.  He is bright, but has nobody on his side.   It’s us now.  ~ Brother John

Daniel Kibalama

Daniel’s Letter

When I recall the times that surrounded my birth and early childhood years, all the things that happened could be put together and hence I would say I was forgotten.

Isn’t it amazing and at the same time difficult for a woman with all the pain they go through in labor to reach a point and forget their children???

It is true that time comes in Africa when children are forgotten. Children are not forgotten because there is no love for them, but for lack of sustenance.

Many parents have given up on their kids for lack of food, clothes, shelter, etc. My main reason as to why I thought I was forgotten was lack of food at home and lack of clothes. This always put me off. I thought I was unloved, unwanted and useless.

To date there are thousands of young kids who are thinking the same way. As a Ministry in Nkumba we are trying to kill this stigma in the lives of many kids.

Many kids we have in our care program often say `I was unloved.` This is not true; the spirit of lack is causing many to think wrongly.

I would love to salute each one of you who has decided to help us build the lives of these kids. I particularly thank you who where very instrumental in killing this spirit out of my life.

I request all of you to put each of the kids in the hands of God through prayer.

We are not forgotten!!!!! Not at all!!! He knows us and knows our names and holds us in the palms of His hands.  We are blessed to be part of the body of Christ with you.

Thank you so much,

Daniel Kibalama

Are you thinking the same thing I am?  How MANY forgotten children are there?  What else can I do to help the “least of these”?  Let’s not read the letter from Daniel, chalk it up to a nice warm, fuzzy story and move on with our day.  NO!  Let’s do something for the next forgotten child.

Umaru Kasijja- 7 year old orphan (unsponsored)

Let me share this stunning statistic again.  If you or your family earns more than $25,000/year, you are among the top 10% of the world’s wealthiest!  I know…we consider $25,000/year poverty level.  But it is NOT!  Imagine living on $700/year or less (which nearly half the world does.) Now $25,000 sounds MEGA-WEALTHY, doesn’t it?!

These economic times are good for us.  Why?!  In 2 Cor 8, Paul speaks of the Macedonian church–how their generous, liberal giving- beyond their means–flowed out of their abundance of joy, their affliction and their poverty!  That’s an interesting grouping, isn’t it?!

Paul goes on to say, “In this matter, I give my judgment…this benefits YOU!–the giver!”  Yes, it benefits the person receiving, but Paul states that giving benefits US!

So, what can we do?  Most of us have probably cut back already–due to the economy.  What else can we do–not because of the economy, but because we are BEGGING for the favor of participating in the relief of the saints!?

If we eat rice one or two nights a week, instead of a regular meal, we can likely sponsor a child (or another child) with the grocery money we’ve saved! (See RICE NIGHT) Do we have something we can sell?  Can we cut out cable TV, a trip to the salon, a golf outing?

Frank and I don’t exclude ourselves from this introspection.  What can we do?  We just sold our TV and TV stand.  That means the DVD’s and DVD player can go.  I am going to stop getting my hair cut at Great Clips and ask my sister-in-law Catherine to cut my hair. (This is news to her!)  We closed out a small IRA.  I’ve got old Nancy Drew books I can take to be sold.  I’ll keep thinking…

Comments are open (as always now)…let’s spur one another on toward love and good deeds!  We can share ideas of what we will do to find a way to care for those who are seemingly forgotten.

Once again, prison ministry has collided with orphan care…this time in a different fashion.

One of the students (an orphan), whom I will call Paul, has been sponsored since 2006.  He is 16 years old.  Sadly, he was recently convicted of a serious crime and is now in prison.

This is a hard post to write.  I cannot re-tell the details of Paul’s life without flooding my desk with tears– but I really want to share this, because it demonstrates God’s amazing grace.

Let me tell you Paul’s story…

Paul is from northern Uganda–the area of the Invisible Children*.  One night in 2005, when Paul was 12, he and his family were sleeping inside their home.  Members of the rebel army (child soldiers) stormed their home and slaughtered his father in front of his eyes.

He and his brothers and sisters fled into the inky darkness to avoid being kidnapped by the rebel army, who would either subject them to or force them to commit heinous acts of torture.  Because of the darkness, Paul was separated from his siblings and has not seen them since that horrid night.  He doesn’t know if his mother is alive.

He wandered in the bush for TWO MONTHS, surviving off of what food he could find growing on trees.  It was on a day late in 2005 that the Lord sent John Mugabi north to this area.

For security purposes, I cannot share with you all that happened to John Mugabi on that trip, but I can tell you that it was at great personal risk to his own life that he went north.  While there, he found two young boys, Paul and his friend, wandering around naked in the bush.

John took them in his pick-up truck and drove them the 5 hours back down to Nkumba.  He kept them in his home, and e-mailed us about these boys, and God supplied a sponsor for them.  She is a woman who lives in another state, and I have only met her once.

When we were in Uganda in 2006, I sat on the ground next to Paul and listened to him bravely tell me his story–with tears welling up in his eyes, but retained there by the force of a grief so deep that the tears wouldn’t fall.  I don’t know how any person, let alone a child, can bear to talk about such atrocities.  But somehow he did.

I feel a very personal connection with Paul, having met him, having seen the sadness that haunted his eyes.  Frank and I don’t have children, so I don’t know yet exactly what it feels like to have a mother’s love for a child, but I’m guessing this might come close.

Since Paul is in prison, I had to notify his sponsor and find out what she wanted to do.  She wrote back the following:

Thank you for your note. My heart breaks for Paul.  There is no way for us to even begin to fathom what they have endured in their young lives.  I will continue to send the same amount and John is to use it as he sees best for both young men.  May God  bless Paul and protect him as he serves his time there.   John may use the funds to supply what Paul needs. (Prisoners are often fed only one meal a day, and are not supplied with blankets, beds, hygiene items or a change of clothes.)

Grace in action.

But the story doesn’t end there.

We let John know what Paul’s sponsor had said, and he took the message to prison.  This is what John wrote two days later (3/24/09):

I told Paul that his sponsor still loves him and he got amazed. Today I preached a sermon (at the prison) on ‘the God of a 2nd Chance.’  I took it from Luke 15.  Specifically I wanted to speak to all the young boys that are in this section of prison. At the end Paul came forward to give his life to Christ.  I whispered in his ears “you are still loved”, and he burst into tears.

Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:1-7

Rejoice with us.  A lost sheep has been found.

* The Invisible Children documentary was filmed in northern Uganda during the height of the war led by Joseph Kony’s rebel army.  Thousands of children walked miles in the darkness from their villages into the night shelters–to avoid being kidnapped by the army.   Because of the pitch black darkness (NO electricity) and the color of their skin, they were literally invisible at night.  When we drove up there in 2006, shadowy images would emerge out of the darkness–children walking into the shelters.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

A new command.  Not a suggestion or a good idea.  A command.

The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. I John 2:4

Last week I wrote that following Jesus’ new command means we’d be willing to give our very lives.  That’s true.  But in reflecting on it, I’ve realized it means SOOO much more.

How did Jesus love us?  He loved us by leaving behind the perfection of Heaven. In exchange he became utterly poor.

For 33 years, He gave up HIS beautiful, clean, comfortable home for germs and bugs and rodents, for no comfy bed & pillow,  no A/C or heat, and I’m guessing a staggering change in diet; health for sickness; riches beyond our wildest imagination for a life of poverty. He gave EVERYTHING to have NOTHING.

This paints a more complete picture of how we are to love, doesn’t it?

Bear in mind, our life here is but a vapor.  Anything we give up or give away here, we gain for eternity.  Jesus isn’t a kill-joy.  He came that we might have life and have it ABUNDANTLY!  We experience that abundance here by loving Jesus and loving others.  And we will experience that abundance in the perfection and luxury of heaven forever–no sickness, death, disease or poverty!

Seggy with kids at Nkumba

Did you know if you earn $25,000 a year, you are wealthier than 90% of the world’s population. $50,000/yr?–wealthier than 99% of the world!  We Americans are filthy rich.  If we don’t feel that way, it’s because we’ve set a standard of living so high and immersed ourselves so deep in debt–even just in home mortgages–that we don’t FEEL rich.

“We don’t believe we are wealthy, so we don’t see it as our responsibility to help the poor.  We are deceived.”  Richard Stearns, President of World Vision.

Nearly half the world lives on $700/year.  And it’s not because stuff is cheap.  It’s just because they live without.  Or they don’t live.  There’s still nearly 20,000 children dying EVERY DAY from easily-fixed problems.

“There is no greater expression of money’s total lack of dominance over us or of its low priority in our lives than when we can with joy and peace, give it away for the Lord’s work.” Richard Stearns

So, what will we do?  How will we obey the command to love as He loved us?

Comments are open.  Would love to hear your thoughts.

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Deuteronomy 30:11-14