Lathrop's Path: November 4, 2013

Monday, November 4, 2013

November 4, 2013

Back in Uganda!!

Our lives are being lived with a very interesting perspective at this point in our existence these days. We come from family on one side of the world and we go to family on the other side of the world. We have family regardless of which side of the world we are in.

Those who made July 4th family reunion

This is such a wonderful reality for me. Since arriving back in Kampala, we have been asked if we feel like we are back home or if we feel like we left home. Neither Lyle or I could give a definitive answer to this as we certainly do not feel like this world is our home. Some of that may come from having no where to put roots down for the last year and a half, no matter where in the world we have resided. But I find it comforting and so like our God's plan, for us to know we have family wherever we are, even if there is no home.

Our biological family back in the states as well as our family in Christ treated us royally; and upon our return here, our Ugandan family here greeted us with jubilation.

Sharing at Redmond Assembly of God

From the boda boda drivers at the local staging area, when our taxi drove by, to the Matoke Inn staff running out screaming greetings, our return was a warm, fuzzy one, which brings us great joy. Even the compound dogs remembered us and jumped into our arms. Since our arrival, we have been staying at a residence that borders the Inn compound. The dogs hear our voices and start howling for us and one of them has escaped to try to get us. Even the staff at the local grocery market greeted us warmly as we had developed good relations with them over the last year. Many of them remarked, "You were lost, welcome home."

God had laid on my heart to review my memory verses from the Bible for the last year, and this one leapt out as His heart for Lyle and me no matter where He places us, no matter how long we are there. It is 1 Thessalonians 2:8: "We love you so much we shared with you not only God's Good News, but our lives as well." There is no richer way I can think of living than truly doing life with the people God places in my path. I want to thank you for willingly doing life with me and for allowing Lyle and me into your lives and hearts; through the good and the tough times. We treasure these relationships so much.

Our immediate future has some order to it. We will mainly be in Kampala until we leave for AIM's African Based Orientation in Machakos, Kenya in mid January. God has provided us with three homes to stay in while we are here, we are grateful to know ahead of time where we will be laying our heads, grin!!! During that time we will be traveling up to Karamoja with a fellow missionary for about two weeks, and hopefully during that time will get a better idea of where we might start our stay in Moroto. We will also head up there right before we leave for Kenya in January, Lord willing. AIM has a conference all the Central Region missionaries attend the end of December and we will be attending that as well. So we really have a full plate already in addition to looking to buy a vehicle that can take the Karamajong roads. We spoke with a Dr. well acquainted with the roads to Moroto, and apparently the wet season was so wet last year that buses were stuck for 3 months on the way to Moroto. Hopefully we don't encounter that in late November.

I am currently reading a book given to us by a dear brother in Christ from our home church in Frenchtown, MT, called "Kisses from Katie". She has written a lot of things that my heart has really knit with, because it is what God has spoken to me as well. She just does a much better job of putting it into words. In one place she writes: "Jesus called His followers to be a lot of things, but I have yet to find where He warned us to be safe. We are not called to be safe, we are simply promised that when we are in danger, God is right there with us. And there is no better place to be than in His hands." Since coming here, we have had one veteran missionary call us crazy for planning to go to Moroto. Of course he has been called crazy as well for where the Lord has taken him. But I truly do believe that the safest place for me to be is surrendered to His leading in my life, no matter where it takes me, because Jesus is worth all of my life for what He has done for me.

Our prayer requests would be that God would lead us to the right Ugandan who also has God's heart for the Karamajong people; for guiding us to the right language teacher, and the right vehicle. We desire to have our hearts beat with Jesus' heart and His eyes to see no matter our circumstances; so we do not ask you to pray for smoothness in our circumstances and times, but that we would see as God sees and love with His love and above all TRUST Him in all things, knowing that He is in control of all things.

Our love to each one of you,

Ingrid & Lyle

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Prayer Requests & Thanks

Praise the Lord we have all the designated AIM team members with us now. They have all been here for a time and are all actively involved in ministry. The Lord also continues to add Ugandan missionaries to be part of the team!

Here are some things to be praying for. Please intercede as the Lord leads.

Lotirir– We continue to minister in Lotirir. Sunday church services in Lotirir have been well established as have the Thursday Bible studies. We praise the Lord as we continue to see lives transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives, but the spiritual battle still rages as the enemy tries to draw some back into their old destructive ways and attempts to dilute the true Gospel with old animistic beliefs.

Rupa – Please pray for Timothy and Sarah Koryang as Timothy leads the ministry in Rupa. Please pray that the Lord softens the hearts of those who hear His words as he uses Timothy. Pray that Timothy walks in obedience as he proclaims God’s Word and for us to disciple him and Sarah well.

Nakapilimen– Thank you for all your prayers for Nakapilimen, the Light of Christ is shining there but please continue praying. The spiritual battle in this slum is so very real as the enemy tries to destroy what the Lord is building in the souls of His people. We know that the Lord is faithful to finish what He has begun in each of these dear people’s lives.

Women’s Bible study in the prison– Please continue to pray for Ingrid as she and other members of the team minister to the women in the prison here in Moroto. We are seeing the Holy Spirit’s power here. Lives are continuing to be transformed by our Lord.

Prison Guards– We continue to thank the Lord for the Bible study with the prison guards. They are a joy. We have seen such growth in Peter, one of guards, as he grows into spiritual maturity. Please pray for him as he brings the gospel to other guards through the devotionals he is doing at their daily briefings. Please pray for Eric as he has many things keeping him from attending.

With the exponential growth of the Moroto team please pray for continued team unity and spiritual growth. We are a large family from many different cultures and world views. So, like any family, we need the Lord’s grace with each other. We are so thankful that we all do get along so well and are willing to work so hard to ensure unity, but we don’t want to take this for granted.

As team leaders, please pray we have Godly wisdom with this growing team. As always, please pray for our hearts to continue to be tender toward the Karimojong people we are here to love and serve.

Last of all, please pray for the growth of God’s Kingdom here in Karamoja as the Lord adds those He has already chosen. And pray for the team, that we will be faithful in bringing the Gospel to these precious people that the Lord loves so much.