"and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8
Those words were spoken by Jesus to his earliest followers almost 2000 yrs ago. As I read them, I began to wonder what it must have been like being in their shoes (sandals); Just how far did they have to go to reach their "ends of the earth"? How'd they get there? How long did it take? Was it hard? What sacrifices and risks did they face? Were they afraid? Who supported them? What language and cultural barriers did they have to overcome? What was the long term impact of their work? Was it worth it?
You've just gotten a glimpse into the thoughts that have been rolling around in my mind (that's scarry!) as we continue preparing for the trip to Swaziland.....our "ends of the earth". The trip itself will take just about 30 hours travel time and cover nearly 8,654 miles (that's as the crow flies, but we'll be taking a plane...sorry! :-) That's pretty far...but in reality it's a journey that's been in the works for quite some time (look up Ephesians 2:10). I read something this week that said: "It is estimated that in the next 50 years, the Swazi people may become extinct (due to the Aids pandemic) unless profound change is realized." I don't know about you, but there's no sacrifice or distance too great...if it means being able to reach out and save a life. So, to "the ends of the earth" we go! That's just a little of what God's been laying on my heart this week. Thanks for listening. I'll blog again soon. Here's some more we can be in prayer about:
Those words were spoken by Jesus to his earliest followers almost 2000 yrs ago. As I read them, I began to wonder what it must have been like being in their shoes (sandals); Just how far did they have to go to reach their "ends of the earth"? How'd they get there? How long did it take? Was it hard? What sacrifices and risks did they face? Were they afraid? Who supported them? What language and cultural barriers did they have to overcome? What was the long term impact of their work? Was it worth it?
You've just gotten a glimpse into the thoughts that have been rolling around in my mind (that's scarry!) as we continue preparing for the trip to Swaziland.....our "ends of the earth". The trip itself will take just about 30 hours travel time and cover nearly 8,654 miles (that's as the crow flies, but we'll be taking a plane...sorry! :-) That's pretty far...but in reality it's a journey that's been in the works for quite some time (look up Ephesians 2:10). I read something this week that said: "It is estimated that in the next 50 years, the Swazi people may become extinct (due to the Aids pandemic) unless profound change is realized." I don't know about you, but there's no sacrifice or distance too great...if it means being able to reach out and save a life. So, to "the ends of the earth" we go! That's just a little of what God's been laying on my heart this week. Thanks for listening. I'll blog again soon. Here's some more we can be in prayer about:
- That God would bring healing and wholeness to the Swazi people
- That airline tickets & other transportation would be available at a good cost
- That laws in Swaziland would be changed to protect the poor and oppressed
- That God would raise up people to be sent out into the harvest field (Mt. 9:37-38)
- That all of our financial support would be in place by the Mar. 4th deadline. (If you'd like to partner financially, you can go directly to: www.james127.org and use PayPal to contribute. Please put my name in the "item/product name" field. All contributions are tax deductible. Thanks!)
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