This pastor has really impressed me since I met him at one of our seminars. Not that I'm saying that it's an accomplishment if you impress me or that the others haven't impressed me...just to put that straight. He came to his first seminar months after his wife had died of cancer and his son died from seizures. My heart went out to him, and we all came together to encourage him and be there for him during that difficult time in his life. I was able to go visit him last week for the first time.
We are actually going to go do a medical clinic at his church for his village next week and take another team there in June to evangelize and minister to him and his family. So we went to talk with him and get to know him better. His family all lives close together and really seemed close and very talkative. That is not something you see very often in the villages with outsiders. He still has 2 sons and 3 daughters. He has been in that area for 5 years now. His church started off with 7 members...his family...but has grown now to about 45 members. They have church services 5 days a week. The other 2 days he works in the fields to provide food and necessities. Another ministry had built a pavilion style church for him 5 years ago and slow but surely they are closing it in with block. They lack a little more to finish. But he is a man of God, knowledgeable in the Word and dedicated to the life that God has called him. Sitting with him and listening was an encouragement to me...even though we went to encourage him and pray for him. I really look forward to knowing him more and ministering beside him and his church. How was I encouraged you might ask?? Well hang on and I'll tell you just how that happened...As we all feel at one time or another, I was feeling a little down and wondering if what is going on here is really all that needed or worth it. These are foolish thoughts
and of the flesh...like Paul said one time when talking about all his accomplishments and titles...but he finished saying that they were all nothing and like trash compared to knowing God and being known by Him. But I was there just here recently...do the seminars matter or make a difference?...does God really want us here and will He keep providing for the needs?...things like this. So I made up my mind that I would ask him what he thought about the seminars and what he got out of them. While we were sitting and talking, I didn't even have time to ask him. He started talking about the seminars and what they mean to him. I kind of felt God saying, "Listen up Daniel! I'm talking to you!" He was greatly encouraged and strengthened by all the fellowship and other brothers in Christ he had made and was growing in the Word! He said that the seminars were wonderful and he really looked forward to coming again and participating in the seminars this year. But you know what...even if he would have said that the seminars were a joke or that it was a waste of time (I might have cried), God spoke to me and encouraged me to be faithful to the work He is doing in our lives and to stay focused on loving Him and trusting Him. Those moments come when we are pushed to completely rely on Him and find the strength in Him alone...what beautiful moments! What a loving and gracious God! He is worthy! That all seems little and sounds like nothing now that I read it...but it was huge for me...God's voice and love touching us! As Brandi says.."So tender."
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