Learning from the ones I teach...

I have spent my entire adult life teaching others and finding that often, God uses those I’m teaching to teach me profound truths about Himself and about myself.  Sometimes indirectly – like learning to grow in patience as I mothered three young children or as I taught second grade.  Sometimes directly – as when my beloved Bissa ladies in Garango, Burkina Faso would share truths from God’s stories with me that His Spirit had put on their hearts.  I found myself encouraged and challenged by their interaction with His Word.

{I've learned so much from these favorites!}

Yesterday, Jay and I had a long conversation with our sweet daughter.  She just finished a 6-week time of ministry working with refugees from several different countries who are in a camp in Europe.  Often, having fled horrific lives, they now await the possibility of a fresh start, a new life – one of freedom and no violence.  Her work was hard, as those who continue to suffer greatly from the immense stress that they had experienced, sometimes responded less than graciously to some of the difficult changes that she had to impose on their lives. 

And she said this to her daddy and me:  “For the first time in my life, I’ve learned what it means to really love those who don’t love me, like Jesus talks about in Luke 6:32. ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners love those who love them.’” 

{so blessed to have such an amazing daughter!}

So Jay and I find ourselves reflecting on this in our lives today.  How do we truly love those around us who don’t love us? Here in DRC, missionaries are generally well-respected, so exactly who are the ones around us who don’t love us?  How do we challenge the Congolese church to love those who don’t love them?

One of the things that we say regularly to those who are learning with us to tell His story, is that we should never walk away from an encounter with His Word without allowing ourselves to be transformed.  My heart is burdened today about what God wants to transform in my life after once again being placed in the position of learning from one whom I’ve taught.

  

Next week we’ll be working alongside a US church who will be teaching about leadership through stories from the life of David.  They’ll also be challenging young English students to respond to God’s call on their lives.

As we study His Word together next week, will you pray for all of us – teachers and students alike—to allow our thoughts and actions to be transformed by it?

And as a side note, this past week, Jay and our mechanic friend, Jean Louis, completed the purchase of a 2008 Toyota Prado as a second vehicle for our missionary team here in Kinshasa.  We’d like to say a huge thank you to our Southern Baptist friends who support us financially and prayerfully and provide for our transportation needs.