The Blessing… The Payoff

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbDErRf-LD4]

This week’s update will be a little bit shorter than usual because of the amount of time that I actually have to work on it. The Conference starts TODAY and we are still running around trying to get everything set up and in best order. But even amidst the busyness and sometimes confusion, it has been a week of great blessing.

[Alex looking over the Nile. In the Back is the platform i jumped from (Bungee)]

First of all, our school leader and close friend John Bills came on Monday and I had the honor of picking him up from the Flight Hotel in Entebbe. It was so great to see him and the rest of the team feels the same. Since then he has been speaking into our lives, giving us guidance and a listening ear. He has taken us out to dinner, watched movies with us, and has provided strong stability for us in this remaining week. He is scheduled to speak at the conference and is hosting a few seminars in the afternoons as well.

Personally, John Bills has helped me tremendously in my walk with God. I know that the same is true for many others as well. God has gifted him with His Father’s heart and is a tangible example to so many of His unconditional love. God has changed many lives through John and we are so grateful to have him here with us again.

The second immense blessing was more of a personal one for me because it involved Muluwork, the YWAM director from Ethiopia, surprising me by showing up yesterday. He had registered for the conference, booked a plane ticket to Nairobi from Addis Ababa, then an overnight bus from there; all on faith. I really wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to come or not and had prepared myself for the worst. God provided and I was able to share in the blessing as well!

The third blessing came at St. Ameria’s Orphanage. Alex and I were able to go one final time on Friday and took with us John Bills and April Bang. April had told me that there was some people back home that were more than willing to give for different ministries here in Africa, and St. Ameria’s was able to benefit greatly from those gifts. They were lacking money to set up a proper account that they would be able to receive international transfers. Now, they have that money and a great deal more. I will be in contact with them if anyone wants more information on how to give to them or pray for their needs as well. This is just the beginning of the blessing for St. Ameria’s. They have been so faithful in God’s command to take care of the orphans and the oppressed and now know without a shadow of a doubt, that God is faithful.

This last 3 months has been quite the roller coaster… and we all had blindfolds on; not knowing what to expect from one moment to the next. This next week, our eyes will be uncovered to what we have been working so hard to accomplish. We all believe that this conference will be a platform for God to be able to share his heart for AIDS to YWAM and to the rest of the world. This conference will change things. We are so honored to be a part of it, even just to be here for this gathering of those who want God’s heart will bless my face off.

On some of the downtime that we have had, I have been able to put together this slideshow highlighting the ministry that we were a part of as a whole school (this goes back a couple of months). Not only is it a highlight, but also a challenge to YWAM and those who claim to follow Christ. Please watch it and share it with those you know. I will post the URL below so that you can send the link to everyone through emails and text messages.

Well, that should be about it. I did go bungee jumping over the Nile River last Sunday after I updated the blog. Since I was the first one of the day to jump, the jumpmaster couldn’t gage whether or not he would be able to dip me in the Nile. It didn’t happen, but it was still a great experience.

I hope that I will be able to update the blog next week, but it may be on Monday from Dubai. We will see what happens. Thanks again for reading and for sharing this experience with me. I am truly blessed by the feedback that I receive from you.

Please pray for the conference this week. Our work is almost done, but this is just the beginning of the work against AIDS and the stigma and shame that is associated with it. AIDS doesn’t have to kill our brothers and sisters, but it is up to us to care.

In Christ Alone,

John Paul