{"id":985,"date":"2025-10-01T05:36:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T09:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/summer-zimmer\/?p=985"},"modified":"2025-10-14T05:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T09:47:30","slug":"the-reliable-character-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/summer-zimmer\/2025\/10\/01\/the-reliable-character-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reliable Character of God"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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My current Bible Study, about the character of God, has been different than the ones we normally do about a specific book of the Bible. I can see God\u2019s guidance and graciousness in pointing me toward this study for this season. There seems to be a lot that God is trying to teach me experientially right now. Reflecting on His character while I\u2019m learning these lessons is just what He knew would be needed. At the end of each lesson, we\u2019re meant to write out three attributes of God that were significant to us in the scripture reading that week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each week, one of mine is that God sees us and knows us. That’s a big deal for me right now, as so many who I felt seen and known by have left. We’ll look at Psalm 139 next week at the ladies’ retreat and talk about how, not only does He know us and see us, He goes before us and behind us and guides us with His hand upon us. He is faithful to do it if we seek Him and ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.<\/em>
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.<\/em>
You discern my going out and my lying down;<\/em>
you are familiar with all my ways.<\/em>
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.<\/em>
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.<\/em>
<\/p>Psalm 139: 1-5<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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I’ve been able to start hosting ladies’ dinners again. While this isn’t a part of my actual job here, I feel like it is one of the most significant parts of my ministry\u2014 giving ladies an opportunity to have a night out to share with and be encouraged by other ladies, some they’ve never met before and some they’ve known for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to leave it as a surprise\u2014who will be there. It’s kind of a joke that I won’t tell people ahead of time. I try to invite people who are new to the field or who are just traveling in from a church planting location for a short time, to give them an opportunity to meet others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We were able to celebrate the country’s 50th year of Independence on September 16th, by inviting our co-workers and their families over for fun and games. It was a beautiful day . . . which also means lots of sunscreen and water! I took photos and helped out with the parachute activity. I’m a little rusty both in my pidgin and in my knowledge of parachute games, but they still had fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next big event is the Central Area Conference, at the beginning of October. This has always been one of my favorite events of the year\u2014an opportunity to hear updates from all of the church planters in the central area of the country, surrounding the headquarters where I live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another thing I love about my ministry is meeting with our church planters as they come through to pray with them. My friend Cathy here serves with the Wusuraambya Church and has been for close to 40 years. Please pray that they are able to finish the translation of the Bible into the Wusuraambyan language.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve been asking you to pray for the Encounter group that came to experience church planting in Papua New Guinea, and I believe the trip was a huge success. We can still be praying that the Lord will use the experience in their lives and direct them clearly on what steps are next<\/strong>. You could also pray for wisdom on whether or not we can offer a similar experience next year, <\/strong>since we will be increasingly short on personnel, including the one who organized the trip and many who taught the classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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