They can't know Him -'cause they cant see Him

I have become convinced of two things in my continued journey with the Servant King:


FIRST: The Gospel that the Western Evangelical Church proclaims to the world today is a far cry from the "Good News" that Jesus Himself shared with 12 men who changed the face of the earth with their message. 


SECOND: The world cannot possibly come into relationship with the living God unless they see the person of Jesus manifestly represented in His body - the Church. 

You can read about the first in a previous post entitled: 

Your "Good News...Aint all that Good!  

This blog post serves to address the second...

The Invisible God

I believe that it is self evident, but more importantly, spelled out in the scriptures, that a knowledge of, or relationship with, God the Father is entirely unattainable except through the person of Jesus. Christ Himself made this clear when He boldy proclaimed:

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

But more than just the ability to "come to the Father" (translated "get saved" by us evangelicals who are forehead deep in the revivalist theology of our era), the scriptures point out that far more than just being saved, it is impossible for man to even know who God is (see Him) but for the manifestation of the person of God in the form of the Son. 

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.John 1:18

Think that one through!
No one has seen God? 

• But what of Isaiah who said " Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty"? (Isa 6:5)
• Or Numbers 12:6-8 "But this is not true of my servant Moses...with him I speak face to face"
• Did not Moses see God manifest in a burning Bush? 
• Was not Gods presence seen in the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night? (Ex 13:21)

But these manifestations of God are not full reflections of God Himself. 

John 1:18 means that "no one has seen God in His essential nature". God may be seen in a theophany or an anthropomorphism but His inner essence or nature are not disclosed by these means. 

So, God is invisible. Unseen. (1 Tim 6:16)

He cannot be seen by man, and cannot be known by man because we cannot know Him who we cannot see. Again, think that one through. If His inner essence and nature cannot be known, then He cannot be known either. (If you only know my shadow, or photo, you don't really know me do you?)

Well, here's where this gets fun! 
God wanted to be known. So around 2000 years ago, the inner essence of the Person of God the Father (who is also God the Spirit and God the Son) took on flesh as a representation of His inner essence and being. Now please take pause here because this is likely the most profound reality ever. And I don't mean that as an hyperbole. I mean EVER! The fullness of the Trinity took on flesh by way of the incarnation in the form of a person - Yeshua (Joshua) whom we call Jesus. This is insane! 

But more insane is the following: 

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven - Hebrews 3:4

Did you get that? - "...the exact representation of His being" 

Jesus was not just a man who followed Gods commands and got killed for it. He is the FULLNESS of the trinity, all of the personality traits of the Father, a complete and full representation of who he is....in bodily form. I love this!

So God, who was in essence invisible to man, took on a body, (now get this please)... 

to GIVE EXPRESSION TO HIMSELF (who He was)...so that the world would know Him. 

See Him. In His fullness.

Jesus was a manifestation of the fullness of the person of God the Father. His Body (and Life) was a physical expression, visible to man, of the inner essence of who God was. Who God is. 

That's what Bodies do....they give expression to the essence of a person. 

Think about it. Who is a person? Are they their body? 

Well no, because when a person dies their body is all still there. But they aren't. 

But their body's are the things that express who they are. They smile, hug, hit, heal, love. 

So a body is that physical thing which gives expression to the reality of who a person is. In this case, Jesus, the bodily manifestation of the fullness of God, gave expression to the reality of the personality and inner essence of the person of God the Father through His life - and His body. This is the glorious mystery of the incarnation, the most profound reality - EVER. 

A New Body 

But there is a second incarnation, of which the Church knows very little today. 

And it is our failure to grasp and run with this reality that I believe is at the heart of the breakdown of the Church in its intended purpose in our world today.

To recap, God cannot be known, or seen. 

But in the BODY of Jesus, God can be fully seen, and therefore known. 

Jesus came in bodily form to show God in His fullness to a world that otherwise did not see or know Him

Now fast forward. 

Here we are today, nearly two millennia later. 

And I will contest that NOTHING has changed. 

Today, we cannot see God. No Man can see God. 

Sure, they can see him in a sunrise, or a lily, or a babies laugh. But not the fullness of Him. 

And the world today needs to see Him as much as they ever did. 

But He is Gone. 

His resurrected body is at the right hand of the throne of God, awaiting His return in Glory to establish and complete His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. 

And as the Church runs around telling everyone about Heaven and Hell, and how to be "saved" by accepting Jesus into their hearts, and as we "share the gospel" with people who are sinners, we are forgetting the most crucial aspect of the "good news". 

God in Us!

Two thousand years ago God made himself known to a world that could not see Him (and frankly didn't have an interest in seeing Him) by giving expression to who He was in the form of a body...God in Jesus. He demonstrated the very personality traits that were always present in the trinity....for all time....and before time...in a body that lived out God. 

He gave expression to Himself by touching lepers, playing with children, caring for the sick and the poor and the downtrodden and the socially unacceptable. He did so by befriending prostitutes and tax collectors and sinners, and by loving the lowest and the least of the people around Him. He did so by serving his servants, and by giving his life for their well being. He didn't do this as an afterthought or deviation from the personality of God the Father, but as the "exact representation of His (God's) being". It was who He was, and who His Father had always been. Jesus lived the Gospel. The good news of the personality traits of God and how his coming Kingdom would be. He lived the personality of God, to show us God. God was in Him. 

And today, the very same reality exists. 

The world cannot see God, and frankly doesn't want to. 

So we evangelize. We tell them of their sins. We tell them about their fate. We hand them tracts and ask them to attend our worship services. We preach on the streets and preach on the television....but they cannot see our God!

But they could. 

If we would just be the body that he intended us to be. 

You see, although neither you nor I can be the "exact representation of His being", the great mystery of the bride of Christ is that we collectively are as parts to His Body, and collectively form the whole, which is Him. Jesus lives in us, and through us, and the Church is the very manifest presence of Jesus on earth today. We are his body. 

NOW STOP!

This is not some cutesy metaphor. 

The "body of Christ" was not a title loosely handed down or inadvertently appropriated to the Church. This is the very reality of the the good news. 

God cannot be known, 

But Jesus has made Him known. 

And Jesus lives in the Church, which is His body today, to give expression to WHO GOD IS, by how they live and love...so that the world may see Him. And know Him. And fall in Love with Him. 

It is because of this fact that the Church today must awaken to the reality that its role on earth is no more, and no less than to BE THE VERY MANIFEST PRESENCE OF JESUS ON EARTH. 

No, I'm not saying that we are supposed to imitate Jesus. I'm saying that if we have died and "no longer live, but Christ lives in us" (Gal 2:20), then as a collective group we make up the same physical manifestation of the fullness of the trinity that previously found expression in the person of Jesus, and today finds its expression in us. Through our lives, through our love. In our daily death on our crosses to serving others, and by giving our lives for their well being. Not as an afterthought or good work to validate our faith, but as the personality of God the Father and the "exact representation of His being". We are to live the Gospel, and the personality of Jesus. He lives in us. God in us. 

We are supposed to give expression to Him by touching the untouchable, giving our time and love "to the least of these", caring for the sick and the poor and the downtrodden and the socially unacceptable. We are to befriend prostitutes and tax collectors and sinners, and by loving the lowest and the least of the people around us. Because that's what Jesus does. And he is in us. 

If it is not yet apparent, this message is a call to the Church...the body of the yet living Jesus to act accordingly...as His body....to be the continuation of His life on earth as a revelation to a fallen and blind world as to who our God is.

My King is teaching me (though I am slow to learn) that if we stopped telling the world how to get saved, and began allowing Jesus to live His life through us...the world might stop - like it did 2000 years ago...and see the God who always was, represented in the Life of the Christ, who has His life today in us. 

This mystery (Ephesians 3:8-11), God, In Jesus, In us...is the beating heart of the good news that we are called to live and proclaim to a world who does not know our God. The world can't know Him, unless they can see Him!


And we are the body He has to give expression to who He is!

Let's live the gospel and make Him known. 

Your "Good News"...Aint all that Good!

Gospel -  εὐαγγέλιον euangélion 
- The Good News (glad tidings)

I believe that we have been sold a Pseudo Gospel! 

Over the last few years God has been teaching and stirring my heart to a realization that has massively changed the direction of my life.  And that of my family. Our entire understanding of the Gospel has been unwound (and rewound) by a completely different perspective of exactly what this "good news" that we Christians proclaim...really is. 

The Semi-Good News: 

I now believe that I have been sold a pseudo gospel my whole life that has reduced the immensely good "good news" to something like a caricature of that which God intended. 

Perhaps you have heard this same Gospel? 

It goes a little like this: 

In the beginning God created, and God was Holy. 

But you have sinned and have fallen short of God's commands for you. In fact, all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). So because of this, you are destined to go to a place called HELL. Hell is a place that was prepared for the Devil and his fallen Angels, but where man goes because of his sin. 

But you don't have to go to Hell. 

You can escape the torments of Hell and go to a better place after you die, called Heaven. 

Heaven is a wonderful place where God lives and there is no sin or death. 

But to escape Hell and get to heaven you need to have your sins paid for. So God sent his one and only son to die on a cross and bare the wrath that you deserve so that you can be forgiven of your sins. Jesus paid the price of your sin by becoming sin so that you can "go to Heaven". 

So, if you want to escape Hell, and go to heaven, all you need to do is believe that Jesus died for your sins, repent of your life of sin, and turn to Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Of course, you also need to make sure you find a "bible believing church" and get "plugged in" 

And that's the GOOD NEWS! 

(at least the one we have been sold)

Now, I know that I am losing some of you already, and that in many minds I must be sounding like a complete heretic. I mean, who would argue with the preceding description of the Gospel? Isn't all of the above true? But bare with me for just a minute. 

Now, before I lay out what I believe the REAL GOOD NEWS is, allow me to point out a few things about the "good news" of this "gospel" that we have all been exposed to for the last hundred years or so. 

1. Notice, that in this version of the Good News, our primary motivation for "repentance" and turning from our life of sin is a fear of Hell. Not that a fear of Hell is a bad thing. But if we are honest with ourselves we will agree that the reality of how we preach, and how we have heard the gospel is in the context of "escaping hell". (Think Jonathan Edwards - Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God)
2. "Heaven" is an exciting alternative to Hell, but the reality is that for most evangelicals, Heaven is mostly exciting because its- not Hell. As a "choice of two alternatives", Heaven is a great place to be. But let's be honest, most of us aren't all that excited to sit around on a cloud and play a harp all day. (more on this comment to follow)
3. In this Gospel, the person of Jesus serves as a mechanism by which we attain the salvation we desire from Hell. Little is spoken of as to who He is, How He lived, or Why we would even desire to follow Him in the first place. Jesus (and his death on the cross) are the manner in which we are saved. Kind of a "Means to an end."
4. The object of our desire in this gospel is a place -Heaven. Alternatively it is eternal life. 
5. This good news is ultimately a teaching of a soteriology (how we are saved). In other words, when we share the gospel in this way, we are talking people through a process of salvation, with Jesus as the engine of that process.  

Look Familiar?
Notice How Jesus is the means by which we get eternal Life.

Now, for context, it is fitting to explain that this version of the gospel is relatively new in the historical landscape of the Church. A brief study of the last couple hundred years will reveal that this "gospel" emerged in the midst of the Revivalist movement of the 18th Century.  Charles Finney, John Wesley etc. and the large tent revival meetings of the era led to the development of this "Revivalist Theology" version of the good news, focused intently on the conversion of souls and evolving into many of the common church practices we embrace today... such as the alter call, and the sinner's prayer (previously unheard of in the church). This movement culminates in the works of men like Billy Graham who further develops the methodology of conversion of souls to include the "all heads bowed, all eyes closed" hand raising that still permeates our church practices today. 

In essence, the Good News of the gospel in this "Revivalist Theology" is that we don't have to go to hell, and that if we trust in Jesus and his work on the cross that we can go to Heaven. 

Now I'm not saying that this is not good news. Who wouldn't choose Heaven over Hell? 
But I would challenge you to consider that it it is not THE Good News. 


The GOOD "Good News"


Now consider an alternative perspective to the Good News. 
No, its not my version. In fact, another quick glance at the history of the church will demonstrate that it has been the prevailing perspective for the vast majority of the Church's history. 


This good news has little to do with Hell, or Heaven. 
It has everything to do with a King. And a Kingdom. 


In the 1st Century, the Greek word "euangelion" was common. It was kingdom language. It was yelled by heralds, spreading the good news of a new emperor through the land. 

"Euangelion! Euangelion!"

"Good News! Good News! -There is a new Caesar."    or 

"Good News! Good News! - Our King's army has defeated the enemy in battle"

So, when in the 1st Century the followers of a man recently crucified as the "The King of the Jews" testified to the establishment of a new Kingdom, they were acting as heralds of a new "eaungelion" - the good news of a different type. 
It goes a little like this...

In the beginning God created, and God was Holy

But man rebelled and attempted to find life apart from God, subjecting the creation to the rule of another King (a serpent accuser), and another Kingdom. And subsequently we have been subjected to the reality of this kingdom...with its never ending toil, greed, abuse, sickness, inequity, poverty, rape, murder, war, hatred, selfishness. And Death. 

But God is good, and had established a plan (from before the creation of the world) to redeem His kingdom to Himself. He would restore his creation to its former unbroken condition, and His image bearers back to Life in Him, breaking the chains of oppression and the hurt and sorrow of a broken world that carries the burden of man's sin. So around the year 3BC, a King was born, and at around age 30 He entered His capital City - Jerusalem (with palm branches laid at his feet, as all Kings of that day did when they entered their city)

But his Kingdom was different. 

His inauguration was atypical for the kings of His day. His crown was less comfortable. And His throne was his cross. While he lived, He served others. He related to the broken, and the hurting. The wounded and impoverished. The children and the sick. The prostitutes and the tax collectors. 

And He spoke of His Kingdom. 
He called it the "Kingdom of God" and the "Kingdom of Heaven"

And he said it was "at hand" 

Imminent. 

And it would be like no other Kingdom, for He would be the servant King. A King like no other. He is compassionate. He is loving. He is gracious. He cares for the lowly, heals the sick, plays with the children, breaks bread with tax collectors, and speaks circles around the mumbo jumbo of the religious elite. He is a Lover. And a friend. And yet He is King! A king worthy of being followed. He is immensely lovable. For He is Love. 

So as He breathed His last breath, and blood and water gushed from his side, the ruler of this Kingdom (who had tried to tempt this "son of Adam" to gain the kingdom by means other than a cross) thought he had conquered the servant King. The Accusers death had won. Or so it seemed.

But Wait! 3 Days later He rose from the dead and restored the "temple" of which he had spoken (Matthew 24). He had conquered Death. He had overcome the accuser and has overcome the accuser's greatest threat - death itself. And He has established a new Kingdom, here on earth (in part) as it is in Heaven (in full)

It is like no other Kingdom. Because He is its King. 

And there shall be no want when His reign is made complete. There shall be no need. No Pain, No Hurt. No Sorrow. 

NO DEATH!. 

His resurrection is as the first of a new creation, a new Adam. And we can share in his resurrection  - If we share in His death, and his burial through baptism. He is sitting at the right hand of His Father, the Creator. His work is finished. He is victorious. And soon He will return. To complete what he has begun. He will make all things new. Correct all wrongs. And of His reign there will be no end. 

Eaungelion!Eaungelion!The Kingdom of the Servant King is at hand. 

Now, notice a few things about this Gospel. 

1. Notice, that rather than a fear of Hell, the primary focus of this gospel is not an escape from Hell, but rather the person of Jesus, as King. Its about Him...all about Him. 
2. Rather than escaping Hell to go to Heaven (a cloudy happy spiritual place), Jesus spoke primarily of the Kingdom of God during his three year "campaign". No, I'm not saying there is no Heaven. But I am saying that Jesus spoke little of it. In fact, if you take a close look you will see that "Heaven" actually comes down to earth in the end where God establishes His New Jerusalem and "tabernacles" (lives or dwells) with man, as it was always intended. Heaven is where we go when we die, but Earth is where God goes when he reigns. 
3. Rather than serving as a "means to an End", Jesus (as King) is the absolute object and focal point of the Good News. He is not a mechanism by which we are saved, but the center of all things. The Good news is not about us getting a ticket to Heaven, but that Jesus, a King of immeasurable love and grace is taking over, and has adopted us as his beloved children to reign with Him. Jesus is no "Means to an end", but is the beginning and the end. All in All.
4. The object of our desire in this gospel in not a place, but a person. Its Him. All Him.  
5. This good news, rather than a soteriological explanation of a process by which justification occurs, is the actual good news of our Kings victory over death, and the curse of sin that binds us, and of the successful redemption of all creation to the Father under the Son. 

The real Good News is not that we escape Hell, and get to go to Heaven. 
The real good news is JESUS. 

The Good News is that Jesus, the promised King has come. He has established his reign on earth, and has ushered in a new Kingdom that is entirely unlike the one we live in today. He has overcome the curse of sin - death, and will resurrect us when He returns to ultimately reign on earth as He does today in Heaven. 

And that's GOOD NEWS!

At least, it is for the poor. It is for the bankrupt at heart, the downtrodden, the leper and the prostitute. It is for the children, and the persecuted. But perhaps not so much for the self righteous or the rich. Not so much for the power brokers of this world, or for the religious elite who have it all together. For the kingdom of God is not like this world, and in His Kingdom the last shall be first and the first shall be last. 

Now Hold on One Minute....

I know, I know. 
But go back and read the gospels. 
Its all there. But we have a tendency to read into the text whatever preconceived ideas we have been exposed to. I know I do. 


But think it through. 
Look at the landscape of the church today, and consider how we get to where we are. 


We work by all means available to get as many as we can to attend our church gatherings (comfy seats, coffee and donuts, terrific bands and "relevant" sermons) and then employ the same strategies used in large scale sales seminars to get "commitments" from people to get to Heaven by following these simple steps and reciting this simple prayer (or for the more bold - come up front to be prayed for)...


...and then we wonder why 

• the vast majority of people who make confessions of faith each year are in no way connected to a group of believers or following Christ just 12 months later (See Barna Group research on this topic)
• the church looks suspiciously like the the world (we drive the same cars, live in the same homes, give the same amount of money (approx 2.7% of income for evangelicals and 2.7% for atheists in America), have the same divorce rates, etc. etc. 
• the Church struggles so much to help its members actually follow Jesus that we create entire theologies around the issue (think about the Lordship Debate - we would not be having this discussion if the gospel that people bought into was about a King, rather than a ticket to Heaven)
• the christian book shelves are littered with books about people who spent 15 minutes in Heaven, books on how to get spiritual and monetary blessings, and books on how to get the most out of life before we depart on our magic carpet ride to heaven etc. But it just makes sense....if Jesus gives out tickets to heaven perhaps he gives out golden tickets to our wildest earthly fantasies as well (think Willie Wonka)

So, here's a thought....

What if the Luke Warm condition of the Church in America is not despite our best efforts to share the gospel with the world, but rather, directly because of HOW we share the gospel to the world? 

Think about it....
If the gospel is that we don't have to go to Hell despite our sin, and we instead can go to Heaven if we just believe in Jesus, then in effect we are really just buying into "getting saved". And let's be honest...who doesn't want to get saved. 


So aren't we just doing our best to save our lives? 

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. - Matt 16:25

But if we hear and profess the Gospel that I hear so boldly and clearly in the Gospel accounts and throughout the scriptures, then we are called not to "get saved", but to drop our nets and our lives and follow the servant king....


Follow him in service and love of others. Follow Him in obedience to the Father. Follow Him in giving of ourselves to others. And follow Him to death, on each of our respective crosses so that we will be united with Him in His death...and ultimately His life. 


Now, that's not for everyone. But it is the Good News. 


I firmly believe that what is missing from the Gospel that we proclaim in our church gatherings today is Jesus. And instead of telling people about Him and His glorious reign, we tell people about Hell and Heaven and how to avoid one and get to the other. It is no wonder that the church has lost its heart for Jesus...we are so busy telling the world about the salvation that WE get and the Heaven that WE can go to that we have tragically forgotten to tell them about the King that we serve...the true hope and joy that we have...in whom all things come together, who is intrinsically lovely and lovable, and in whom all of us find Life. 


We are spending our lives looking for the WAY to Heaven
We are spending our time arguing about TRUTH 
We are furiously working to get eternal LIFE


And all the time all of these were found in a person. 
He is the WAY, He is the TRUTH and He is the LIFE!


Lets start telling the world of our King, whom we love, and who loved us first. 
Perhaps then they might fall in love with Him, and follow Him
..... rather than say prayers to get to Heaven. 




 For a couple of good reads on this topic whose perspectives I would agree with check out

King Jesus Gospel
Scot McKnight















Surprised by Hope
     N.T. Wright

Bukedea Update Q1 2011

Below is a summary of an Update provided by the staff at Childrens Hope Chest on the Bukedea CarePoint in East Uganda. 

Introduction.

The first quarter of this year went through well with children enjoying variety of activities at the CarePoint. The children have been having meals at the CarePoint at lunchtime and learning more Bible stories such as Isaac, Abraham, and David during the discipleship classes. They have also been engaged in recreation activities like group games, ball games, and rope skipping. A few children were sick, but they are now well and back to school, thanks be to God for his healing hand.

Guardians and parents meeting

The meeting was held at the CarePoint. The parents and guardians turned up in big numbers. This showed the positive attitude of the guardians towards the CarePoint.

The parents and guardians appreciated HopeChest and the sponsors for the contribution that they have made in the lives of their children. They expressed gratitude for the food, scholastic material and various items given the children including shoes, mosquito nets, soap, and Vaseline among others. They confessed that these are the items they would have not managed to provide for their children yet they are very important in the child’s live.

Some of them thanked God for answering their prayers and sending people to stand with them in taking care of the children. They really appreciated the discipleship class that the children attend on Saturdays because they have seen changes in their children who are more respectful and obedient and also share the gospel with them when they go back home.

• The guardians and parents promised to play their roles in the lives of the children by ensuring that they do what is in their capacity to make the lives of the children better, only looking to the organization for support. They promised to ensure that their children observe personal hygiene, discipline, and attend activities at the CarePoint.

Parents and guardians committee

The parents and guardians also elected a committee of members to represent them in the villages that they come from to ensure that information flow with CarePoint is effective and on time. They also agreed that the members elected will act as child protection representatives in the community who will ensure that they monitor the well-being/safety of children and ensure that their rights are not violated. They will also follow up on issues concerning abuse of children with the right authorities. 

The guardians with the help of the social worker came up with projects that they believe would help to improve on household income. Some of the projects suggested were piggery, poultry keeping, baking, and goat keeping.

This is a picture of Levi's grandmother in front of their
new hut. The old one was falling down and we were
able to build her a new home for around $150. 

Home Visits

Some of the children were visited at home like Samuel Malinga (UG2606271) who was sick with malaria but was recovering. His mother who is living with HIV/AIDS was also sick but is much better now. The staff encouraged and prayed with her during this difficult time for her family.

Another child whose home was visited was Levi Igune. His grandmother was so grateful to the sponsors for enabling her to have a new house with a new roof.

You can read about Levi and our emotional meeting with his grandmother in December 2011 

at the Blog Post : SMELLY, REJECTED, AND ASHAMED 

We were thrilled to be able to provide them with a new home for so little)

Feeding Program

The children are enjoying the meals and are happy for the food. This is because some of them are only able to have this one meal for the whole day. The food has also enabled the children to be healthy throughout the month, as they can be seen on the picture below.

    

  

Alex, who has a bladder control problem and has been
largely ostracized by local kids and his dad is still
undergoing treatment

      Health

The children have generally been healthy throughout the month except for Samuel Malinga UG2606271 who was suffering from malaria but has since then been healed after receiving treatment.

Alex Okanya UG2606314 who suffers from a urinary complication is still  undergoing treatment with support from the sponsor and HopeChest and expected to undergo operation in Mulago Hospital (Kampala). We continue to pray that God will use the hands of the doctors to heal him totally.

Icakuna Norah UG2606266 has developed a swelling in the chest and having difficulty in breathing. She was been taken to Kumi Government Hospital for medical examination and treatment. Norah’s health is now stable.

Education

The children are all at school and for those not in boarding school they are able to have meals at the CarePoint, then go for the afternoon classes.

Discipleship 

The children actively participated in the discipleship classes and learned about being obedient and doing what God expects of them.

Recreation activities

The children were engaged in various sports activities especially on the weekends after discipleship classes. The children played games like football, athletics, rope skipping among other games.

Next month objectives
De-worm the children
To monitor the project activities (discipleship, feeding, health, education)
Form children’s clubs.
Form children’s leadership teams
Carry out home visits

Conclusion

We thank the Lord for enabling us to go through the quarter. The children and staff have seen the continuous love of God as He has continuously healed the children and spoken to them through his word during discipleship. The meals were nutritious and provided every day. To God be the Glory.

A more thorough version of this update will be made available through the Childrens Hope Chest Newsletter but I thought that some of you might appreciate seeing this sooner rather than later. Its good to know that the kids are being loved and attended to daily, and we are excited to be back on the ground in Uganda in August. 
Thanks to everyone of the sponsors who provide the opportunity for these kids to have this hope, and for your commitment and support. - Dylan

A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep

Ok, so there is a lot to update everyone on.

I've been on somewhat of a Blog Sabbatical. It's been nearly 2 months since my last post. That's us on the left, hiding...behind the tree. That's where we've been.

Mostly we have been busy, but it also has been good to spend more time reading than writing. God has been teaching us a lot...through what we have been reading as well as what we have been living.

So anyway, We're back. With lots to share and "ramble" about over the next few weeks.

I'm also excited to have my wife Jen jump into the mix. I've asked her to jump into the conversation from time to time to just update everyone on progress on the Ogoloi and Bukedea CarePoints as well as how the kiddo's and sponsorships are progressing. So if you read a blog that sounds less confrontational and more...I don't know....nice?  - it wasn't me!

So this post is a mile wide and an inch deep, just to break the seal and get back in the swing of things. And then I hope to jump back in every few days with some of what God has been doing in our lives.

So here are a few updates:

Sponsorships
First off, we are making slow (but still steady) progress on sponsorships for the Kids at Bukedea. We have found sponsors for 7 kids in the last 2 weeks, but have around 120 left still unsponsored. All of the Ogoloi Kids are still sponsored which is great.

Here are a couple of the Bukedea kids that still need sponsors. -I always have to put in a plug :)

Lillian Josephine Adongo

Born: Dec 12 2002

This little Lillian has a twin Lillian Apio.  She is the younger of the two twins. They live with their mom and their father's second wife. Their father died 2010 of HIV.

Michael Malinga
Born: April 27 2002

Michael is a single orphan.  He lives right next to the CarePoint with his mother and 5 brothers and sisters.  His father died of HIV and his mother also has HIV.  His mother is a peasant

Please check out the "Sponsor a Child" tab 

at the top of the blog for more info on the sponsorship program 

and to check out pictures of a few of the kids still needing a sponsoring family.

Foster Care
Next....Foster care.
That's right...straight out of nowhere, we decided that we would like to open our home as foster parents.

Actually, it was quite the opposite!

The reality is that I really selfishly have little desire to open my home to kids in these situations.  But God has continued to press into us that we really have no choice but to. There are literally thousands of children (locally) lacking love, affection, (and blow me away) even food in some cases, and they have no place to stay while the court system works to find them a "forever home"

Well, we have a home. With extra bedrooms.

And we have a loving environment. 

And we have the means to handle another kid. Or two?

In fact, we have everything we need to take on the burden/opportunity of taking a child in a terrible situation into our home and showing them agape love for a season....

We have everything - except an excuse not to.

So we jumped in.

You might recall the video below. I've posted it many times before. It had a great impact on my perspective and my desire to DO SOMETHING about the little boys and girls around the world who are alone, scared, and in need of love. Well, I guess the fact of the matter is that this is true for kids in Uganda and the US alike. Check out the video if you haven't seen it yet. Its powerful.

We are half way through our 10 week mandatory licensing class, have had the first of our 3 home visits, and will hope to be able to welcome someone into our home soon after we return from Uganda in August. Lots to share on this topic (foster care)....so stay tuned.



Fund Raising

Click here for Prospectus

Bukedea and Ogoloi

Our next update is about the next phase of our efforts in Ogoloi and Bukedea CarePoints. As we move forward in our long term partnership with these two fledgling oases of hope (that's plural of oasis - I looked it up) for the orphaned kids in the region we are charged with working to gather funds to be able to build some of the infrastructure we need to continue to feed and educate the 400 kids currently being served at these locations.

We have worked with Childrens Hope Chest to structure the fund raising campaign needed to begin moving forward with the development plan for the two locations...particularly Ogoloi, as much of the Bukedea infrastructure is complete.

I have attached a copy of the Fund Raising portfolio we are completing for you all to take a sneak peak at. As you read, you will see that there are some significant needs, some of which have been accounted for, and others that we will need help with.

Despite the overwhelming scope of this challenge, we are excited to move ahead with this effort confident that Jehovah Jireh (the Lord Provides) ...will!

Water 4 Foundation

Click for Water4 Prospectus

A second endeavor that we are excited to begin updating everyone on is our plans to ship well drilling equipment over to Uganda this year in order to train some of the nationals on the ground to drill bore holes and cap wells in the region.

Again, I have included a link to the prospectus detailing our intentions and you can learn a little about the drilling method and Water4 Organization (who we will be partnering with) in the video below....

This is an entirely revolutionary drilling and pump method that Water4 Foundation has pioneered and is making a huge impact to our ability to make water available to communities in areas like Bukedea at low cost, while employing the nationals in the process. 

August Trip

Around August 18th we will be arriving in Uganda again with a team of around 10 to spend 4 days at each of the CarePoints. We are excited to be bringing with us several people who have never been before, as well as for the work to be done while we are there.

I am seriously already excited to see all the kids, but especially my "special boys", two of which we sponsor and 2 of which some of our friends sponsor. To see why they are so special check out the blog post from December titled "Dad committed Suicide After Mom Went Mad and Left"

We will be working to document another large group of kids who will be needing sponsors by the end of the year, as well as work to spend more time documenting some of the success stories of children whose lives have been positively changed by the sponsorship program.



It's difficult for people here to understand how much of an impact $34 a month can really make, so it is important that we tell the story. I'm working to find someone to join us with the ability to film and edit so that we can compile some more professional brief films of what is going on in the region through these sponsorships and the work being done each day at Ogoloi and Bukedea.

I will be Blogging with info on the trips soon, but for now, know that we are able to take a few more with us on this August trip so if you have interest please let Jen or I know. This is why we do this, and we are thrilled to be able to have you meet the kids you sponsor in person. Oh, and we are working on another group for early January too (in case that works better)

Radio Interview 
I thought I would also include a recent radio interview that Joe and I did about the CarePoints. There are two weeks of program and I have attached links to the first weeks audio that covers the CarePoints and some of our work in Uganda.

Next week I will be able to post part 2 which was a little more oriented around how the local church in the US can (and should) get involved in ministry outside of its walls. Lots more to come on that :)

Click here for the Interview

That's all for now. 

I'm excited to zoom in on some of these (and other topics) over the next several weeks. I appreciate all the support so many of you have shown Jen and I as we have stepped out in faith to continue down this journey. I can tell you that the last few years of our lives have been by far the most fulfilled.

There is nothing like giving yourself to something so much bigger than yourself...especially when that "something" is really a "Someone". We are thrilled to be serving our King, and loving His children in the process.

Bukedea Well

Great News!

I just got word this week that the contractors are lined up to dig the well in Bukedea starting March 20th. That's terrific.

The process is lengthy and may take up to 3 weeks to complete (TIA - This is Africa) but it is fantastic to know that we will be able to provide clean drinking water to the kids at the CarePoint as well as the local community within a month - and, all this, as a result of the faithful help and contribution of our friends and family around the world.

Our "Noel NoWell" campaign for Christmas this year was a great success (raising far more than the $5,000 we had hoped for) and we are thrilled to see the money put to use at the Carepoint.

So - a Huge Thanks to all of you who contributed.

from us....

....from the kids at the CarePoint

And from Jesus -our King....

who told us that whenever we provide for "the least of these" among us, that we are doing so for Him.





A New Chapter
On another note, we have some exciting news that I am eager to expound upon later this week. But for now here are the headlines and I'll fill in the details later.

First, we have our trip outlined for August and already have a healthy sized group of people joining us.

We will be leaving around the 18th of August for a two week trip to visit both Bukedea and Ogoloi. I can't tell you how excited I am to see all the kids, but especially my 4 boys in the picture below. These guys captured my heart, and I really do miss them.

I am eager to learn the status of Paul Ocim's potential HIV infection (his entire family was infected when we visited in December and he seemed to be suffering from some weird skin disorder), and to hopefully find Geoffrey still living with Paul (the other Paul in the green)...both Geoffrey's parents are gone and we connected pretty deeply  (read the Blog post from Uganda here -"Dad Committed Suicide After Mom went Mad and Left" )

I will blog about the details of the trip later, but for now want everyone to know that we welcome (no, encourage) any and all of you to consider joining us. We go so that you can come with and meet these kids first hand. So let us know if you would like more details.

And Secondly, the last month has led us on an incredible journey that we are extremely excited to make more progress on, and fill everyone in on.

As we have researched the problem of the immense lack of clean drinking water in Uganda, and as we have worked to raise money for wells for Ogoloi and Bukedea, our journey led us to research recent advances in alternative and more affordable well drilling techniques.

And recently, we have found a terrific partnership in an organization that provides affordable and locally sustainable well pumps and drilling methods that we will be investing in to bring to our friends in Bukedea and Ogoloi on our trip in August.

Our plan will be to drill at least one additional well on this trip using this new equipment and pump mechanism (likely at the site of the new Ogoloi CarePoint) and then work to train up our local brothers and sisters to use the equipment to continue drilling in the area for other villages.

This is truly an incredibly exciting development and I can't wait to fill everyone in on the process and the training that we have gone through to be equipped to drill these bore holes in Uganda. For now, I'll leave you with a brief taste of why this all excites me so much. You've gotta see this.

There truly is nothing quite like an African celebration.

And there truly is nothing like giving of yourself for others. 

It's a great pairing, and I'm excited to spend the rest of my life doing both.

Here is a brief teaser of the organization, Water 4 Foundation, that we spent the weekend with at the end of last month being trained on their well drillng method.

More to come this week....but I just had to get this off my chest!

THANKS for all your support for our work for these kids. 

If you would like more info on sponsoring one of the kids at Ogoloi or Bukedea, please visit 

http://www.ramblingalien.blogspot.com/p/sponsor-child.html

Or contact 

Dylan 515 291-1006

dylan@century21.com

or 

Jen 515 291-1897

jen.debruin@century21.com