Here We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder

I (Mark) am preparing as I write this to leave for DFW Airport for another tour of duty in Africa. I am leaving three days ahead of Margaret and her team to make sure everything is in place for them when they arrive.

I am filled with anticipation of what God is going to do, keenly aware of Proverbs 16:19, which says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

Missions are always an adventure. We never know what the Lord has in store. On Saturday, I will be meeting in Kampala with a representative of an organization of 10,000 Bible-believing churches in Uganda to work out details of implementing a businessmen’s discipleship program. Please pray for unity and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The program includes the potential of low interest business loans for worthy men. Please pray the money aspect does not overshadow nor pollute the discipleship aspect.

Tuesday I will be reconnecting with the men of Gaba Community Church. A few of these men who had their loans foreclosed because of unfaithfulness have failed to grasp the meaning of forgiveness and grace. They believe forgiveness and grace frees them from consequences and they cannot understand why their loans cannot be renewed. Please pray I will be able to show the love of Jesus to these men; that the Lord will use me to speak His word in a way that opens their hearts to the truth; and that these men will grow in their faith and love of the Lord as a result of their experiences. I feel the Lord is leading me to speak on righteousness. Please pray He will point me to just the right Scriptures.

I am finalizing preparations to teach 10 men in Kisumu Kenya on “Doing Business God’s Way.” The course begins July 23 and runs 9.5 hours per day for five days. Please pray the Lord will prepare their hearts and that He will give me discernment and a love for each individual man. Their names are:

PAUL OKECH
GEORGE MAKUNDA
DANIEL MWANGI
WILSON ASUMA
GORDON MANGICHO
DANIEL OMONDI
CHARLES KAMAU
ERICK OMONDI
ANTONEY MAKADINA
NORMAN NYABWANDA

It was interesting as Margaret and I spent our daily time in the Word and prayer this morning that today’s reading was from the Book of Jonah. I don’t feel the reluctance that Jonah did in completing his assignment, but I must admit the obstacles to teaching Godly business principles in Africa sometimes seem daunting. Our one year Bible includes daily devotions from Oswald Chambers. This is what he wrote that spoke to my heart today:

“Arguers against obeying the call of God will arise in the shape of country and kindred, and if you listen to them you will soon dull your ears to God’s call and become the dullest, most commonplace Christian imaginable, because you will have no courage in your faith; you have seen and heard, but have not gone on. If you accept sympathy from those who have not heard the call of God, it will so blunt your own sense of His call that you become useless to Him.”