April 10, 2012
I know a 13-year-old girl named Maria. She is in the seventh grade. Monday through Saturday she walks 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) to school.
If her teacher’s there, she will have class from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with only a few short breaks and no lunch. After school, she walks home and begins preparing supper. If the family needs water, she must walk to a local well, pump her water, and then haul it home by hand or on her head.
If her teacher isn’t at school, then she simply returns home because this is not an atypical situation (in fact, it would seem strange to her if her teacher was there every schoolday). Once home, she does additional house work: sweeping, mopping, washing laundry (on a washboard at the river), pounding rice or corn, gardening, and if all of that is done she can always haul more water.
But Maria isn’t terribly concerned about whether she learns everything she needs in order to pass seventh grade, because this will be her last year in school. Her family has promised her to a man and this summer, at age 13, she is getting married. At which time being able to become pregnant and have children will become her top priority. Feeding, clothing, and keeping her kids alive and mostly healthy will be her main thought each day.
___________
I have another friend named Jill. She is eighteen years old, married to a great man, but has no children after four years of marriage. Not only is she grieved because she cannot bear children, but she is also terrified that any day she could return home to find that her husband has taken a second wife. Not only is she mocked and shamed by her community, but her husband is also dishonored and considered a fool for keeping Jill as his wife and refusing to take another. Until she can conceive (or place her faith in Christ) she will live in a state of hopelessness, because in her mind there is nothing she can do as this must be “God’s will.”
___________
Last Sunday, I was at the market when our village learned that a local woman and her baby had just died during childbirth. The wails and sobs of her friends and family were heart-wrenching. The tragedy and pain of death is compounded because of the hopelessness in which they live. Within their beliefs, there is no certainty about your destination after death; if your good outweighed your bad, then maybe you’ll get into heaven. If not, well then…
___________
My time here is coming to a close, but God’s work isn’t. Even while living here, my only direct ministry to these people was through prayer. Now I pray that when I leave I won’t forget them, their struggles, and - most importantly - the battle for their souls. The Litseys will be returning (God willing) in a year and joining the many other missionary families who continue to serve the Lord on the front lines here, but they aren’t the only ones called to minister to these people. We all have a responsibility as the Church to intercede on behalf of those who have yet to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ.
From our standpoint, the advancement of God’s Kingdom here is very slow and requires us to have an incredible amount of endurance and perseverance, but we know God hears our prayers and is preparing these people for the harvest.
Please join us in praying that:
* Seeds would continue to be planted, watered, and to grow deep lasting roots.
* Scripture would permeate the country and it would penetrate its readers’ hearts.
* Persecution would deepen believers’ faith and strengthen their witness.
* Missionaries on the field would seek God daily and through Him find love, strength, wisdom, patience, discernment, perseverance, urgency, and balance.
* God would move in undeniable ways through dreams, visions, miracles, and Scripture, and that He would bind Satan’s attempts to deceive and maintain dominion in this place.
As I prepare for my return, please pray that:
* God will continue to prepare me for the reverse culture shock that I will experience.
* He would give me wisdom and discernment to handle situations in a way that is humble, Biblical, and glorifies Him.
* I would not fall into an attitude of cynicism, but continually ask God for His perspective and the ability to pour out love and grace freely.
* The lessons He’s taught me will take root and produce fruit in my life regardless of my geographical location.
* He would guide me in reestablishing and deepening my relationships with friends and family so that they are authentic and transparent.
Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support over the last 16 months; I couldn't have come and served here without you. I am scheduled to be back in the States at the beginning of May and would love to get to catch up with all of you. Again, I cannot express my gratitude for all you have done in order to see my ministry here a success.
May God pour out His blessings on you and your families,
Julie McKee
I know a 13-year-old girl named Maria. She is in the seventh grade. Monday through Saturday she walks 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) to school.
If her teacher’s there, she will have class from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with only a few short breaks and no lunch. After school, she walks home and begins preparing supper. If the family needs water, she must walk to a local well, pump her water, and then haul it home by hand or on her head.
If her teacher isn’t at school, then she simply returns home because this is not an atypical situation (in fact, it would seem strange to her if her teacher was there every schoolday). Once home, she does additional house work: sweeping, mopping, washing laundry (on a washboard at the river), pounding rice or corn, gardening, and if all of that is done she can always haul more water.
But Maria isn’t terribly concerned about whether she learns everything she needs in order to pass seventh grade, because this will be her last year in school. Her family has promised her to a man and this summer, at age 13, she is getting married. At which time being able to become pregnant and have children will become her top priority. Feeding, clothing, and keeping her kids alive and mostly healthy will be her main thought each day.
___________
I have another friend named Jill. She is eighteen years old, married to a great man, but has no children after four years of marriage. Not only is she grieved because she cannot bear children, but she is also terrified that any day she could return home to find that her husband has taken a second wife. Not only is she mocked and shamed by her community, but her husband is also dishonored and considered a fool for keeping Jill as his wife and refusing to take another. Until she can conceive (or place her faith in Christ) she will live in a state of hopelessness, because in her mind there is nothing she can do as this must be “God’s will.”
___________
Last Sunday, I was at the market when our village learned that a local woman and her baby had just died during childbirth. The wails and sobs of her friends and family were heart-wrenching. The tragedy and pain of death is compounded because of the hopelessness in which they live. Within their beliefs, there is no certainty about your destination after death; if your good outweighed your bad, then maybe you’ll get into heaven. If not, well then…
___________
My time here is coming to a close, but God’s work isn’t. Even while living here, my only direct ministry to these people was through prayer. Now I pray that when I leave I won’t forget them, their struggles, and - most importantly - the battle for their souls. The Litseys will be returning (God willing) in a year and joining the many other missionary families who continue to serve the Lord on the front lines here, but they aren’t the only ones called to minister to these people. We all have a responsibility as the Church to intercede on behalf of those who have yet to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ.
From our standpoint, the advancement of God’s Kingdom here is very slow and requires us to have an incredible amount of endurance and perseverance, but we know God hears our prayers and is preparing these people for the harvest.
Please join us in praying that:
* Seeds would continue to be planted, watered, and to grow deep lasting roots.
* Scripture would permeate the country and it would penetrate its readers’ hearts.
* Persecution would deepen believers’ faith and strengthen their witness.
* Missionaries on the field would seek God daily and through Him find love, strength, wisdom, patience, discernment, perseverance, urgency, and balance.
* God would move in undeniable ways through dreams, visions, miracles, and Scripture, and that He would bind Satan’s attempts to deceive and maintain dominion in this place.
As I prepare for my return, please pray that:
* God will continue to prepare me for the reverse culture shock that I will experience.
* He would give me wisdom and discernment to handle situations in a way that is humble, Biblical, and glorifies Him.
* I would not fall into an attitude of cynicism, but continually ask God for His perspective and the ability to pour out love and grace freely.
* The lessons He’s taught me will take root and produce fruit in my life regardless of my geographical location.
* He would guide me in reestablishing and deepening my relationships with friends and family so that they are authentic and transparent.
Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support over the last 16 months; I couldn't have come and served here without you. I am scheduled to be back in the States at the beginning of May and would love to get to catch up with all of you. Again, I cannot express my gratitude for all you have done in order to see my ministry here a success.
May God pour out His blessings on you and your families,
Julie McKee
