We have been doing door to door ministry in a place dubbed
“The Flats” all week. It is a typically middle to high class group of what we
would call condos in America. On Thursday, Andrea, Sarah-Jane and I were
working as a group and were allowed into the home of a Sudanese family. The
patriarch of the family was named David and he sat comfortably in his chair
reading his Bible as we entered his abode. He graciously stood, shook each of
our hands and offered us water, which we all declined. Clearing up first and
foremost that they were not Ugandan, but rather Sudanese seemed to be top
priority.
Wisdom was written in the crevassed skin which wrinkled atop
his aging muscles when he spoke. His wife was adorned with tribal scarring
across the left half of her face which she seemed to hide by seating herself on
our left side. David’s words, although in a language unknown to my ear, begged
me to take notice. As his daughter translated, what I heard was like a
refreshing breeze on a sweat drenched afternoon. I sat uncomfortably close to
his wife who only accentuated her husband’s presence in the room.
The words of this aging Sudanese man breathed fire to my
inmost parts. His was a life not wasted. His was a life spent waiting as a
watchmen waits for dawn. Prophesy, blessings, and thankfulness flowed out and
filled the room.
I desire my blog today to inspire you. David prophesied from
Matthew 21:43 which states, “I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away
from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. (NLT)” From
this scripture David saw America as the nation God has given the Kingdom of God
to. He told us this not to glorify America or us. These words were given to us
because David saw us, Americans, as going out into the world and producing the
proper fruit. He went on to describe how we as a country continually offer
services of goodness and virtue throughout the world citing tragedies such as
the tsunami in Indonesia and the earthquake in Haiti and how America responded
with almost immediate aid.
We as a country at times do not realize how great we are in
this world. We are the world’s most blessed people. We have food that nourishes
us, opportunity that drives us, and a government that serves us. Not all of
these are perfect but they are true. Open your eyes and see what you have
today. I have met people whose most prized possession lay in the hope that they
may one day make it to America. Pray that these people can build a country that
is not America, but carries forth the Kingdom of God in all its activities.
Pray that God will bless those who long for comfort as we have it, but pray
that He gives them that comfort where it matters, in their hearts.
Uganda is on God’s
heart or else I would not be here. I
have one month left. Please continue to pray for my team and me as we continue
to fulfill what we declared to you as our supporters. We desire God, and He is
satisfying our desire here. Thank you for caring enough to read this,
Joseph Batts
