Preparation

I remember when I worked here in America as a youth pastor.  I would spend some time planning for our summer youth events.  Now, you need to know this about me, I am not good at planning out the details of events or at least I wasn't then.  By God's grace, parents and supporters would come alongside me and help me to shape the events that we would do.  The events were always enjoyable to the extent of the amount of work that was put into them.  I learned a very valuable lesson during my time as a youth leader here in America; be as diligent in preparation as you can be and bathe all of what you've planned in prayer.  I am so grateful for my time as a youth pastor here.  I learned what works and what doesn't work and I had outstanding support from church leaders, families inside our church and families outside of our church.  What a huge blessing it was then and in fact as now as I still converse with life long friends that were part of that time.  God is good.

Fast forward to January 4th, 2018.  We are sitting in the frozen tundra of Indiana, trying not to freeze to death.  As we are going about and seeking to complete many obligations both from a ministry and organizational stand point, there is a different feel to this month.  With five months remaining, my level of excitement is growing rapidly.  I am daily in the Word, asking God to prepare my heart, mind and body for the tasks before me both today as well as upon our return to Uganda.  I am daily in prayer for all involved, prayer and financial partners, teachers that are coming, teachers that are there, administrators, staff, our WGM team, students, families.  I am daily preparing bit by bit new curriculum for a new class that I am praying I will be able to teach next year.  I am daily praying over our family both here and in Uganda.  I am asking God to work with me in every detail of curriculum preparation so that I can give my very best in preparing our students to go out and allow God to radically transform the world as He draws them closer and closer to Himself.  I can not explain my level of excitement for returning and getting to work with these students again.  I know that God has indescribably amazing things awaiting them and I am so thankful that I get the opportunity to go and allow God to use me to help them grow.  It's January now, but at the epicenter of me, God has planted the vision for what comes next.  

So this is a short post to say thank you to everyone who is involved or who will be involved.  I am diligently working so that I am fully prepared for preaching and teaching in the very best way possible.  

Here are some things that you can be praying for:

*  We believe that we have hit 90% of our recurring support.  YEAH GOD!!!  We will know in about another week or so.  We hope to buy plane tickets later this month.  Pray that all of the rest of the funding will come in and that God will work in every detail of that aspect of our ministry.  We are still needing about 10% more recurring support to be at 100% and we are also needing about 25% of our one time need.  

*Pray for our Band of Brothers and Band of Sisters leadership.  They head back to school tomorrow and I am asking them to come back refreshed and ready to love, lead and serve well this semester.

*Pray for the preparation of this new class.  It is my desire to teach a class to both/either or Middle School and High School students on developing a statement of faith.  When the class is over, they will have a well established, document (rooted in Scripture) that they (and their families) work through and substantiate with Scripture.  They will also have to orally defend this in front of their class.  I'm incredibly excited about this because it will help our students to more resolutely define what it is they believe as well as enable them to have a Godly lens through which to operate.

*Pray that we can continue to have a significant impact on refugee ministry in Uganda.  There are still refugees pouring into Uganda and as that need grows, we see the opportunity to be used by God in love and service.  Pray that God will open more doors for us to be able to show the compassion of Christ to so many who are hurting.

Thank you to everyone who is allowing God to use you to make this possible.  From education ministry to refugee ministry, God is using all of us to change the world and draw people unto Himself.  Blessings to all.

Brother Justin Ssemakula Williams

To become a global impact partner:  www.wgm.org/williams