My Answer is, "Yes!"

Friday was a pleasant day. I headed up to the office that morning with David Kaya and was encouraged to be welcomed by everyone as if they had known me for months already. I asked Scovia for a task to do that day, as we were waiting for the education seminar schedule to be able to make ours. So, she asked for help with some attendance sheets and reformatting things, etc. I was happy to help. The morning flew by as I typed all of those up for each individual cell group and the next thing I knew it was lunch. Oh, how vastly different I can feel from one day to another. I was so grateful to enjoy my lunch with everyone.

Right after lunch one of the teachers from the school came and asked Scovia and I if we would come and talk to the children for their Friday program. I wasn’t paying attention and Scovia got my attention and asked if I would. Right in that instant my flesh cried, “NO! I’m not prepared!” as my mouth said, “Sure!” I knew I wouldn’t have time to even read through anything really since we had staff meeting and then after that I was to head over to the school.

When I went to Uganda my first time in the summer of 2008 I quickly learned that in an instant you could be asked to speak to a group as small as 2 or as large as hundreds. I would be asked to “say a few words”. And you didn’t have to be told ahead of time. In fact, you were hardly ever told ahead of time that you were going to be speaking. Sometimes it was literally a 2 minute, “Hello, my name is Jessica.” and others it was a 20-30 minute testimony.

Each time the scripture “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2 just scrolls through my head.

Most times we are far more prepared than we allow ourselves to think. If we remembered that we are the mere vessels and it is Christ who works in and through us then we would then carry the weight of our responsibility to preach the Word more! The honest to goodness Truth is though that we often don’t want that responsibility because it makes us uncomfortable. However, after tasting and seeing the fruit of obedience in saying, “Yes!” you can’t help but to be changed.

It is the same here in Sudan.

After lunch we had a staff meeting. It was a bit surreal. The last staff meeting I had was at the Texas Baptist Home where I worked for almost 4 years. It made me miss it and thank the Lord for the enormous blessing He poured out on me by allowing me to be a part of that family for so long. I had to keep myself from letting out a little laugh as I thought about how different the staff meetings were. In Texas I was sitting on a large comfy couch, in A/C, sometimes a snack and drink, etc. versus here in Sudan where I don’t think there was one bit of my body that wasn’t sweating, I was gulping water just to stay hydrated, on a plastic chair (which can I say that whoever invented these things is a genius. It is THE form of sitting here pretty much) and moving it simply to stay out of the sun, etc. I literally had a smile on my face as I was sitting there participating in the Seed Effect staff meeting thinking about how in September when I worked my last day at the Texas Baptist Home I didn’t have a clue what He had in store and there I was seeing it. Living it.

My faith has become sight.

I’m letting that Truth sit deep. It’s powerful.

We discussed the time table of things and here’s what we have:

Wudu-Edu. Seminar 3/9; Second Group Training 3/11

Leikor- Edu. Seminar 3/10; Second Group Training 3/11

Mere- Edu. Seminar 3/16; Second Group Training 3/14

Kiri- Edu. Seminar 3/15; Second Group Training 3/18

Jalimo- Edu. Seminar 3/22; Second Group Training 3/23

The names in bold are the names of the villages where I will doing the Second Groups in the market places. Seed Effect has 7 locations so far and I am starting out in 5. My part will be to do the Second Group Training along with Scovia on the dates above. This month the goal is to simply get the word out to the Cell Loan Group leaders so they can spread the word to the rest of the clients as well as anyone and everyone that may be interested outside of Seed Effect. The Second Groups are not limited to Seed Effect clients. What we figured is that since they have these monthly education seminars anyways where all of the clients from each cell group get together in their market place, then it would be wise to take advantage of that to initiate the Second Discipleship groups. So, the Second Group Trainings above will be just that. I will be explaining what they are, what their purpose is, what they will look like, who can be involved, and actually doing a Second group to give firsthand experience of experiencing them. I hope to also find out a good day and time to meet each week in that specific location. I’m thinking we may have multiple groups right away since my goal is to have no more than 8 people in a group before starting a new one.

So, if you don’t mind, please be praying for these meeting times. They are very important as they are the first steps to getting this going (of course outside of what Christ has already done and is currently doing that I can’t necessarily see!!).

Also, since these groups will not be limited to Seed Effect clients, it is likely there will be a mixture of born again believers and those who are not born again. I pray that not only do born again believers gain depth in their relationship with Christ, but that many come to salvation through Christ!

Is it just me or is it stinkin’ exciting to see all of the possibilities that the Lord could do!! I mean, tons and tons and tons of lives can and I believe WILL be transformed, y’all!! Eeek! J

So, the meeting finishes up and it’s time to head over to the school. I’m flipping through my Bible as we have our 2 minute walk across the field to the school. I come across Galatians 5:13, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

Freedom.

That was my message to these kiddos.

I walked into a room of about 75-80 students and a maybe a handful of teachers. This is the church’s school, so many are born again believers but I was told that most definitely all are not. I introduced myself, thanked them for having me, and discussed our freedom in Christ and how if you do not know Christ as your Savior then truly, you have not tasted TRUE freedom! I challenged them. I talked to both those who are born again and those who are not.

Scovia also shared and talked for about 5 minutes, making it very clear that salvation is NOW; it’s not something you wait on. She then asked if there was anyone that wanted to be saved. …

Smack dab in the center of the room one of the littlest boys sits up tall and raises his hand. Oh, my heart. Thank you Father. Scovia asks if there was anyone else and the room is dead silent and he’s just sitting there boldly with his hand in the air. I wanted to jump over those kids and grab him in my arms and squeeze him so tight! Of course, I didn’t. J So, Scovia asks him to come up to the front so we can pray with him.

Can you imagine this in the states? I mean, think about it.

He came up to the front and I squeezed his little shoulder as not to embarrass him and as we were about to pray a young girl walked up to the front and stood next to him. 2 for the kingdom!! They prayed to the Lord repenting of their sin, asking for forgiveness, and asking the Lord to be their Savior, committing to following after Him from this day forward and thanking Him for His grace on their life and the gift of Eternal life with Him.

Everyone clapped for them, we got their names, and off we went.

What if I had said, “No.”? What if? He knew. He always knows. And I GET TO BE A PART OF HIS KINGDOM WORK HERE ON EARTH! I don’t know that there will ever be a day that I am able to fully process that. All I know is that it sure does bring me a joy that is NOT of this world.

Each. And. Every. Time.

Please pray for Sworo Ben and Kojo Rose and they have begun their adventurous walk with the Lord. Pray for boldness and encouragement and a fire that burns strong to be a mighty warrior for our King Jesus!

I was so excited for the weekend.

Good conversations just sitting in the shade while they drank hot tea and I enjoyed my water. They say I will get used to it, but I’m telling you—drinking HOT tea when I’m HOT just doesn’t make sense to me or do I enjoy both the inside and outside of me being HOT! J Skype dates with my momma, dad, sister, and friends. Guitar. Reading. Praying. Laughing. More guitar. More laughing. Cooking. Attempts at Kuku. Listening to people root for their futbol team on the T.V. (yes, there is a small t.v. in the conference room)

Saturday was just wonderful.

Sunday=church. We were out in the village last Sunday with the team so I was happy to go to church for the first time here. It was lovely. I think I might be deaf by the time I get home, but I tell you what, I will go deaf singing and dancing to the Lord!! Haha David Kaya preached a good message out of Revelation. I love his passion. It’s pretty contagious. I got to visit with Grant from Water Harvest a bit at church and we ended up a part of a meeting afterwards. That seems to kind of happen. J He invited me to hang out over there with the guys if I wanted to. So, after church and the meeting we headed over to their compound, ate lunch, and simply hung out for a few hours. It was good to joke around and just talk getting to know each other a bit better. They were extremely welcoming and encouraging. Not only are they enormously blessed to have Norma, but she’s in great company, too!

I tend to be very aware of my senses…smells, sights, tastes, noises, touch. I notice them even more here. Here they seem to be more precious…full of His beauty. It’s sometimes all about stopping and relishing the “small” things in life. Like how… … there are these 2 lizards that are literally always together. I think they live under a box in the conference room. Almost every single time I walk out of my room there is the big black and neon orange one (beautiful) and a smaller greenish and slightly orange one right next to it. They sit out on the concrete, I walk out, and they run under the door into the conference room. I go in my room, I peek out a few minutes later, and they are right back out lying on the concrete. I’m not making this up, y’all!! Today, the EXACT (I mean, it just has to be J) same ones were running along on the ground right outside my room…looked to be chasing each other, up the tree, down the tree...around in circles and then back to the concrete slab!! I am enthralled. ...I hear the sounds of the up and down, up and down of the water pump about 15-18 hours out of the day. I go to bed hearing it and I wake up hearing it.…I hear the sounds of giggling children pretty consistently. Innocent joy.…I hear Mercy crying often (LOUDLY) when she is told no or if anything doesn’t go the way she wants it to. J …It is a blissful feeling when I lay my head on my wonderfully soft pillow after a long day.…I am always aware of my newly aching pain and numbness of my fingers on my left hand from learning how to play guitar.…The sun beats down on my skin and I can feel the sweat literally dripping down my back. Gross, I know, but it reminds me oh, so often that I am here. I am in Sudan. I am doing what He has sent me to do. …I hear trucks full of Africans driving down the road singing loudly usually at least once a day.…The little kiddos hair feels as I rub their precious little heads.…the KuKu’s genuinely laugh out of amusement and joy when they hear me greet them in their own language.…my heart feels like it will burst when a person surrenders their life to the Lord.…the cool breeze feels on my skin in the morning when I am sitting in the shade before the sun takes over and I am spending time with the Lord.…comforting chips (French fries) taste after eating a number of meals consisting of beans and noodles or rice. …adorable the faces are of the little ones are that can’t seem to stop staring at me....David Kaya's laugh sounds and how he laughs oh, so often!!