Good Fit

Discipleship
June 25,2011

Three peas in a pod.  Pam, Paul, and Mark.  It's taken long but. after decades of various types of ministries, each of us has discovered that discipleship by relationship seems to be the most effective way to connect people significantly to Jesus.  As Mark pointed out, to several gatherings this week, Jesus invited His disciples to

  • Come and see
  • Follow Me
  • Come and be with Me
  • Abide in Me

Mark enjoys  lunchNyasha & Dereck
The Lord's style of discipleship was certainly not a one hour a week class in doctrinal distinctives or a 12 week course lining out the standards for church membership. Jesus purposed to impart the life of His Father in those who followed Him.  Theirs was life lived together.

Thursday Pam and I took Mark to meet Dereck and Nyasha Mombera who live, work, and disciple in Kampala.  What a dynamic time of fellowship we had as we shared lunch with them.  After lunch we loaded six members of the Dove Voice Band into our van to take to our home in Jinja for more "time together."  Jeff Kasigwa joined them and two more members of the band arrived late that night.  Anticipation filled the air with the potential for unforgettable memories.

Sami blessed by Jeff's extravagant gift
Mattresses covered the sitting room floor.  Laughter filled the kitchen.  Damp towels found places to hang.  Encouragement was passed around like candy.  Music was constant.  Worship was our life.

Tonight Pam, Mark, and I sit quietly in the cool of the evening attempting to capture the impact these past 48 hours had on all of us.  How?  How do we capture it?  Robyn and Blair are with Sera, helping her move her kinetic household to a new and improved location for their life together.  Before they left, Jeff, who stayed to quietly write and post a blog for his readers, had also left to join his wife, Lyzette, and their two boys in Kampala.   There is no food remaining in the house.  Coffee will have to be drunk without creme in the morning.  Eggs?  No, they disappeared as well ... along with the bread for toast.  But, smiles?  They are plastered all over our faces.  Hearts bursting with joy?  Yeah ... full!  Really full!

Energy filled audition at THE KEEP
Laughter accompanies Yves 1st attempt
We have only words to weakly attempt to capture the fulfillment  the three of  us shared during this time.  We were living in the here and now and doing what we were made to do.  I sit here on the veranda with my laptop warming my thighs, fingers at my side, and I just relive the moments.

  • Betty gently, but almost pleading with us to have another discussion about the joys of discipleship by relationship
  • Faces filled with delight when the owners/managers of The Keep said yes to the audition of the Dove Voice Band to sing and play for their dinner crowd the evening of July 8th
  • The sacred hammock of swinging on the fringe of the DVB as they composing and arranging English songs of praise
  • Unrestrained worship Friday night that blew our hearts and minds!
  • My mouth releasing joy at the privilege of giving English bibles to those who have none
  • The cornucopia of praise and thanksgiving that blew a gentle breeze over all of us as each one lifted their thanks to God for blessing them in a personal way through the life we lived together
  • Being called papa and mama and turning around to receive yet another hug from grateful, spiritual sons and daughters
  • Resting in the darkness of our bedroom and quietly reflecting on yet another full day of God's goodness
  • Saying "come in" to the gentle knock at that bedroom door from our granddaughters who just couldn't go to bed without telling each of us that they love us.
  • Inviting our "son" Jeff to join the four of us on the bed for yet another "bedroom talk"
  • Laughing uncontrollably as Sami modeled his new suit given to him by brother Jeff ... along with shoes, white shirt, tie, and belt (Sami is respectfully called President by Boris now!)
  • Shaking our head with amazement as all sheets, pillow cases, some blankets, and towels were laundered by hand early this morning before the boys left
  • Telling Yves, Hope, and Robert "thank you" a dozen times for mopping all the tile floors early this morning
  • Walking to the taxi park with all the boys for just a little more time with them
  • Finding Blair and Robyn sitting on our beds, just a few hours ago, writing thank yous laced with Scriptures to their older "brothers"
Praying for "papa' Mark this morning
It's impossible to write the whole story, but these are the headlines.  Of course I could post more headlines, but these are the memories that jump to the front of my mind as I sit here with Pam and we share them with each other.  Our love for the Lord has increased.  We are grateful for this privilege.  Our love for the ones with whom we are working has increased.  And we are grateful.  And gratitude is the doorway to joy.  Wow ... are we filled with joy!



Bibles for those who have none


Comments