Reaching Out (through the mud)
We continue to meet 4 mornings a week (weather permitting) as we go through our Creation to Christ Bible lessons with a village nearby. Each morning I (David) put on my trusty golf shoes and head off down the very muddy trail. Down into a ravine across a river and up the other side. It’s pretty cold when I first start out but going up the other side of the ravine I warm pretty quickly and can take my coat off. Then I continue up the trail past a coffee garden and over log bridges. Many places the trail is ankle deep in mud with no easy way around. After arriving at the village I sit down on the wet ground in a little clearing near one of the houses. Because I am so warm from hiking sometimes in the cool of the morning steam rises from my body as I sit there which causes the Simbari kids to point at me and chuckle, “Look the white man is smoking!” About 25 Simbari people are gathered to hear the Bible taught in their own language. The ones from this village who invited us have been coming very faithfully as well as many of the others too. We’ve recently taught lessons about the Passover and Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. These lessons teach about the sacrificial lamb of the Passover and about how God always saves those who trust in Him. Hiking back home each morning from the teaching has become a very sweet time. Several of us usually hike back together and there is always some discussion going on about what they have learned from the teaching. It’s great to be able to listen in on the discussions and realize that they are indeed understanding the message. Even though we are only laying foundations now as we teach these Old Testament stories some have already made the connection between Christ and the sacrificial lamb of the Passover and of the ram that took Isaac’s place on the altar. So I arrive home covered in mud from the ankles down but glad to be a part of what God is doing.
Acts of the Apostles
David finished the preliminary draft of Acts and is now working through the second stage of translation with a Simbari helper. Our co-worker Lori is doing content and comprehension checking of the translation and teaching a ladies literacy class each morning. We’ve also started working on some more Bible lessons. Our believers are starting to get excited as they hear pieces of this story about the growth of the early church and how they took the Gospel to the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles around them. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as we translate the rest of the book of Acts.
Summer Team
We just had the privilege of hosting a work team from Grace Baptist Church in California. They came to get a look at tribal church planting up close and to help finish up airstrip repairs as well as some other projects that needed done around here. They were such a blessing to us not just in the work they did but in the fellowship we shared. Because of our isolation here we especially enjoy opportunities like this for fellowship. Also as you know, the burden of work is lightened when you’re able to share the labor with others. We were thankful to have some extra co-workers even for just a short time to lighten the load and speed up the work.
By His Grace,
David & Shari Ogg
(Esther, Simon, Rachel & Jason too)