As I promised earlier, I will answer some of the questions you sent.
Here is one that has taken me a few weeks to ponder and try to come up with the answer….but the answer is always changing, but I’ll try to explain it all the best I can.
QUESTION: What all does your ministry encompass?
When I think about what our ministry enCOMPASSes, images of that cool tool that holds a tiny pencil and draws perfect circles dance around in my head. (Loved getting a new one every August before school!)
So, I could answer this question very quickly by saying that Jon works as an administrator at the mission office and I am a middle school teacher. However, this short answer would only be the tiny dot where the sharp point of a compass would rest and would not provide a good picture as to what our ministry really looks like. If you took a compass and created a circle to contain the various aspects of our ministries here, just this past month, the circle would include so much more. Perhaps the following prayer requests will help you understand the circle of ministry a bit more.
-Pray for Jon’s 11 grade Bible class. They have finished an overview on Romans and are in the middle of an intense class on Apologetics. This class is made up of Muslims, atheists, Hindu, and believers.
-Pray for the 7th grade boys Jon disciples each week. EVERY Thursday, the boys ask me numerous times in class, “Is Mr. Parker going to be here today?” They love and respect him and hang on every word he says. (Not to mention how much they cherish the hours he plays soccer with them.)
-Pray for our students’ growth. We are continually encouraging a servant’s attitude in the hearts of our students. Just the other day, a few kids threw down trash without thinking twice. When I asked them to pick it up, they told me that if they did that, then the “workers” wouldn’t have a job. “It’s the Nigerian way,” was their excuse. We spent the next few minutes talking about how we are to follow Jesus’ example of being a servant.
-Pray for safety. Each morning during devotions at least one student prays for someone who had been robbed the night before.
-Pray for a specific student of mine. She is very outgoing, but she has confided in me that she is struggling with depression.
-Pray for Mattie Grace as she listens to Nigerians read English as part of a literacy program.
-Pray for our hostel children who are growing up without their parents beside them. Just the other day a young girl came to me crying because her parents broke their promise of visiting her… again. I held her and prayed with her.
-Pray for our precious Nigerian friends. The political tensions are rising. Elections are in April. We pray for them and with them.
So often the real ministry develops in the everydayness of life. It begins on the soccer pitch or during a water balloon fight. It grows when we put our arm around a students shoulder and talk about proper dress or speaking respectfully. It develops when we are sitting around a campfire late at night. It is strengthened through laughing together, trusting one another and going through the rigors of being transparent with each other. Through the Holy Spirit’s strength and wisdom, we continue to work for His glory. Thank you for your prayers!
