God has placed this vision in the group about doing something greater in the IDP (International Displaced People) Camps; something that will be lasting, something that will bring the Kingdom of God down to that place after we leave in 2 months. When you go to this place there is no hope; these people have no hope of getting out and you can feel the despair when you get there. It is almost as if they are there for the food and that is it. So our group sat down and prayed about the vision that God has for this place. And we knew that it was something greater than going there every saturday to hand out a bag of ugali and feed the kids a bun.
Discipleship. I have been reading a lot of Paul’s writings about discipleship and the significance that it has on people. Coming along side of someone, investing and teaching someone until they can go and do the same to another person. Holli made a good analogy: it is like you are holding the hand of God in one hand and the hand of the person you are discipling in the other and you are there until that person can eventually hold the hand of God themselves. That is what it is about. Guiding people, helping them understand the greatness of God, and coming along side of them so that you can grow God’s followers.
So God has given us this vision of discipleship for the displaced people. Now how do we go about fulfilling what he has called us to do? I think it means taking one step at a time and building those relationships so that the people truly interested in spreading the word of God after we leave will have been invested in by us. There is so much need in that place, so much hurt and so much despair. There is no way that we can fix everything while we are here, but God has given us a vision of something bigger, something greater than ourselves, something that will be lasting; now we must step into the fear of the unknown and act. While it is going to be hard and frustrating at times, It is exciting that God has given us the ability to carry out something that He started in us. God is so good.
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, wit hthe Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitatiors of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering you welcomed the message wit hthe joy given by the HOly Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia- your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anythign about it, for they themselves report what kind of recetion you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead- Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” I Thessalonians 1:4-10
