It has been a wild and crazy few months for the Ankole Mission!
Teammate departures, baby arrivals, preparing for new teammate arrivals, and some very significant changes in the way “things are done” around here…
With the departures of Jay and Nick, we all knew that things would change, and missionaries and Ugandans alike have felt the uncertainty of the “unknown.” These next few months – indeed, the whole of 2008 – may well be the most trying time in the history of the Ankole Mission. We don’t say that lightly. It is sure to be a time of testing, and a faith-stretching time for the missionaries and the Ankole churches. In one sense, more responsibility must be shifted onto the national church leaders than ever before. In another sense, we hope and pray for a different reality…
Hopefully, this will be a time where more faith and trust will be put in the Lord, as we all learn to depend upon HIM more than ever before.
Shane and Scott are working with church leaders to envision new ways to practically accomplish this mission, and continue the growth of this movement of churches with less missionary help than ever before. It is a leadership challenge, and we pray that a trusting partnership will develop that is equal to the task (a partnership between the missionaries and the Ankole leaders, as well as a sense of trust and teamwork between the Ugandans). It is also a financial challenge, to work out new ways that this movement can sustain itself with a significant drop in foreign-donated income. And of course, it is a spiritual challenge… and a time of great opportunity!
Please pray for the Lord’s guidance, provision, and teaching! Pray that everyone’s faith will be taken to new levels of trust in God as we work through this time of transition. Pray for growth, especially spiritual maturation among the Ankole churches and leaders.
For all we know, the wild and crazy months may just be getting started. Whatever the future holds, we rest in the assurance that the Lord of all creation is with us, leading this mission to what He has envisioned long before we answered His call!
