Group decision making

by | Jan 11, 2017 | Uganda

Yesterday, a woman came in my office asking me to keep a kitenge (printed cloth) for another lecturer, and of course I agreed. Then she asked me if I wanted to look at the other bitenge (plural of kitenge). I knew I needed to say no, but I said yes.

So this happened.

I wish I could offer a good reason for my lack of restraint because I SO do not need another kitenge, but look at it! It’s gorgeous.
I love my bitenge dresses: they’re custom designed and tailored, and clearly, bitenge is a weakness of mine.

So now that I had this gorgeous kitenge, I couldn’t decide whether to have it made into a dress, or a blouse and skirt that I could wear with my clericals, so I went to find Vicky, one of UCU’s recent graduates who is temporarily working in the chaplaincy, and who is always very smart (looks very nice).

When I entered the office, Simon and Tony were in the office with Vicky. I showed the kitenge to Vicky, and since this is Uganda and conversations always include whoever is in earshot, Simon and Tony joined Vicky in expressing their admiration.

Continue reading Group decision making at Here I Am.

Meet SAMS-USA: John and Ninfa Dixon

Meet SAMS-USA: John and Ninfa Dixon

by | Jan 7, 2017 | Europe

John, Ninfa, and their now grown children began their work in Spain by planting a church in a large, working class suburb of Madrid. The congregation now consists of about 60 people. They planted another church in the coastal town of Alicante. This ministry included an outreach to seamen. Ninfa was involved with diocesan women’s retreats and is also the Sunday School coordinator for the Diocese of Spain. John is an ordained Episcopal priest. The Dixons had long been supportive of missions and felt that God would eventually lead them to the mission field. However, God first planted seeds of interest in the Dixons when John was attending a course on World Missions. The professor directly challenged them to “consider where the needs are greatest” and they did just that! Today the Dixon’s are serving in El Paso, Texas, serving on the border of Mexico sharing the love of Christ to the broken, hungry, and impoverished.  
Prayer Requests: 
John and Ninfa face many challenges in the mission field including cultural issues such as drug addiction and cynicism about religion.
To support John and Ninfa, visit their missionary page.

Morning by morning…

by | Jan 7, 2017 | Ecuador

Date: 
2017-01-06 00:00:00

I’m here in the busy city of Quito! It’s just as I remember it to be– busy streets, barking dogs, chilly mornings, rainy afternoons, and delicious food! I am so grateful to be back and excited for the upcoming weeks. Just in these first few days, God has already provided many amazing graces and I look forward to seeing His hand move throughout this trip. 

Thank you all for your prayers!  

“Morning by morning, o Lord, you hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:5

Besos, 

Leah

He’s here!

by | Jan 7, 2017 | Honduras

Happy Epiphany!  For me this is a time to reflect on the incarnation of our Lord Jesus.  When the wise men arrived to see the baby Jesus, everything changed.   Jesus was now manifested beyond the Jews to the whole world.  This is a time of year I reflect on His presence, His incarnation and what an amazing thing that is.  Imagine, the Creator of the Universe, our Lord and Savior is here, now, in our world, in our lives.  Every day.

I returned to Honduras right after Christmas in time to attend a huge concert at which our LAMB Worship band from the Children’s Home performed.  It was a big deal and hundreds of people attended, and cheered, our kids!  I was so proud of them I thought my heart would burst.  These teenagers, composing their own songs, practicing hours on end, brave enough to get up in front of a sea of strangers to worship the Lamb through their music.  Sublime.




Before the concert we visited the “Mega Nacimiento” or huge Nativity village.  A nacimiento is more than the traditional nativity scene.   I love the various Honduran holiday traditions.  Some are delicious like the nacatamales at Christmas.  Some are amusing like the “Año Viejos” which are effigies filled with firecrackers lit at midnight on New Year’s Eve.  The nacimiento is the most charming tradition with Honduran pueblos (villages) built at the foot of the nativity scene.  The “Mega Nacimiento” was more like a bustling city!  

Nice house!
Joseph’s carpentry shop
Marketplace
Pinata to celebrate!
If you don’t have a donkey…
They went to church too
Bar with Coke and pool
Local gas station
When ya gotta go…


Some of the scenes were amusing but a wonderful reminder that the Risen Lord is with us…in Bethlehem, in Tegucigalpa, in your town, everywhere, every day!  

So, look around.  See Jesus. He is everywhere. Take Him by the hand and follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Discovering “uncommon grace” at the Uncommon Grounds Cafe

by | Jan 6, 2017 | SAMS-USA

Date:
2017-01-06 00:00:00

Uncommon Grounds is a café in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. In the heart of the former steel town, the café is a place of sanctuary and Christian outreach and care. People come in to find a warm meal and a listening ear and sometimes, hope and a fresh start.

One day a man came into Uncommon Grounds looking for someone to listen, and to understand “his side” of the story.  Frustrated with his ex-girlfriend, he had chosen to be more forceful than he knew was right and had been put on probation. Part of his probation was to go to 12 step meetings and anger management classes, some of which are hosted at Uncommon Grounds Cafe.  In talking to me, he seemed at first to be agitated, but then eventually calmed down. We are all sinners, I assured him. I thought of Romans 3:23. I didn’t quote the scripture, but it did begin to play in the back of my mind, as I fought the desire to judge him unworthy.

The more I listened to him, the more I heard his true heart. He had a deep love for his children. He wanted to be a good father. He didn’t have a great role model growing up, but he wanted to do better for them.

He and I met weekly for a couple of months, and at one point, he asked if he could borrow some money to keep his lights from being turned off.  It is my policy not to give out money to people, but to refer them to other agencies in the city that. This time it was different. I heard the Lord say “Yes”. So I said, “Yes”.

What happened next shocked me, too.  He offered to pay me back! Instead, I asked him to do a service project for the neighbor with his kids on Saturday and send me a picture. That would be payment enough.

A month later, I was driving down the street and I saw my friend, sharply dressed, working for the local funeral home, with a huge smile on his face.  He is now taking his children to church, spending time with them, and showing them the value of an honest career. He offered his life to the Lord, and offered his children what he had received by God’s grace: hope.

Impacting peoples’ lives in this way through Christ is what the ministry of the Uncommon Grounds Café and Church Army USA is all about.  To God be the glory!

Uncommon Grounds Café is part of the Matthew 25 Ministry initiative of The Anglican Church in North America.

By Herb Bailey, Ministry Directory of Uncommon Grounds Café.

Original post from Anglican Church in North America.