Thanks so much all of you who have been lifting up prayers for the amazing ministry God has here at Tumaini. I wanted to give you a quick update concerning the awesomeness of God and his activity here, especially in the life of the teacher I requested prayer for in my last blog!!!! This time I will do so by sharing my journal entry from Friday October 15^th.

October 15, 2010 Friday am… Just after morning worship service for the Kids

Lord I don’t even know where to begin except to fall on my face in humble adoration of who you are. I AM THAT I AM!!! Oh, and how your WORD continues to be alive and active. Praise the Lord. Bwana Asifiwe! The story I am about to tell is nothing short of a miracle. GLORY BE TO GOD.

So I’ve been praying for a Muslim teacher at our school at his request. Recently he’s begun to notice God’s providential hand at work in the healing of his sister and father, and I believe in his own life. I’ve been praying that God would show Himself in a BIG way to this teacher. I wrote in my Believing God notebook these exact words two days before: “I pray that You Lord come to him and speak words to him and that you would use whatever means necessary. I pray that he would be transformed and that you will give him a hope and a future.” I love how God wants us to be specific when we pray and how He answers so specifically in order to grow our faith.

This morning I was to bring a message “give the Word” at the children’s morning worship service. (PPI). This week we were talking about the topic FAITH: Believing God can do what He says He can do. As I was walking to the classroom to prepare I came across this teacher and asked if he would be joining us for PPI this morning, and then I told him our topic. He smiled and said YES! I began to pray though as I watched him walk the opposite direction toward the office. As PPI began I looked up to see this teacher walking from the office with a HOLY BIBLE in his hand. He entered the room and stood in the back with another teacher. As the children were singing songs of praise, I felt the Spirit of the LORD whoosh, and I do mean whoosh into the Room. I think he whooshed straight to the back corner, as I looked up to see this teacher and the other thumbing through Scripture and quietly conversing. After the singing it was time for testimony and Hesbon, who was leading the service, asked for JUST ONE. Usually the kids are eager to share, but not a single one went forward… not even after several requests from Hesbon for a testimony. It was then that from the back of the room this teacher that all of YOU have been praying for slipped up his hand. I could barely hold back tears as He proclaimed Bwana Asifiwe (Praise the LORD). The testimony he shared was moving although I could only understand “Big Picture” concepts, as he was speaking in Kiswahili, but in my heart I understood every finite detail… God was at work using “any means necessary” to draw him into Himself. He shared how he was riding home on a bicycle this week with the teacher standing next to him and for what seemed to be a completely unknown reason they began to walk. Moments later they observed a truck out of control turn over in front of them… just where they would have been had they continued on the bicycle. He was not just praising God, but Christ Jesus for protecting them! My oh my how wonderful are your works Lord. Then he asked to sing a song… Following the song he shared from Exodus 14 about God being… I AM THAT I AM. Was a Muslim man just declaring Yahweh as God right in front of my eyes???? Why yes he was. In just a few short moments God had prepared me to expound on that very fact… how God is our protector, provider, and a God who sees, from none other than Exodus 14:21-27. Again I love how God calls us to be obedient in preparing to proclaim His Word, but also in His sovereignty, He can and will do a mighty work before we proclaim it….because HE IS GOD!

Lord it is my prayer that my teacher friend will soon come to know the God that he spoke of today. That in the name of Jesus, he will be transformed and rejoice in you as Savior. Teach us around him (and those who hear of this) to be sensitive to Your calling and be obedient in how we can continue to encourage him. Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more: HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.

Again these are the words from my journal last Friday. Since then I have given Hesbon (awesome Kenyan man) a Bible to share with this teacher. In this Bible I wrote several scriptures copied in the back from a paper I carry with me… the same tear-stained paper that I had given my mom to share the Gospel with my grandfather. Since then Hesbon has taken a few minutes to continue sharing with this teacher, and again he is very very close to accepting Christ. I believe the last stronghold is the confession of sin and then committing his life to the Lord. So please come alongside of me in praying that God will again speak to him, this time beckoning… Come follow ME!

I pray believing and know of God’s faithfulness. He even sent me a sign in the form of the most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen. As it arched over Tumaini Miles of Smiles I couldn’t help but see the message: a promise (rainbow) of hope (Tumani: Swahili for Hope)

May you find HOPE in the Lord and all HIS Promises!