Brooke's Uganda Ministry Update #4

Brooke’s Uganda Ministry Update #4 January 8, 2006


Dear Friends,

Happy New Year and glory be to God for His grace and favor that have allowed us to see a new year and to have the opportunity to continue to work for His glory and see His Kingdom come – on Earth as it is in heaven. As a new year arrives, may we glimpse back over the previous one and see all the lessons learned, the prayers answered, the tears cried, and the joys experienced. Let us not forget what we have struggled through, but let us also continue to keep our eyes focused on the prize – the high calling of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 24: 46 & 47
“The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

As we watch another year pass by we remember all the tragedy that came upon the world in 2005 – the tsunami after-effects, the hurricanes that rocked not only the poor of our country but many poorer ones in other countries, the earthquake in Pakistan, and the list continues. In many people’s personal lives 2005 was also a year of upheaval and mourning, death and change. For others, including myself it happened to be a banner year – one in which much life was born, not only for me, but for those I celebrate alongside. In 2005 I worked 2 jobs, I dated seriously 2 men that I now consider important friends, I visited in meaningful life-giving ways 5 countries and 9 states, attended 6 weddings of dear ones, celebrated with 5 couples who are engaged for 2006 and enjoyed hearing news of 6 little ones born to friends this past year. As I looked back this New Year’s Day at my New Year’s resolutions I wrote out in a little pub in Gloucester, England last New Year’s Day with my friend Rachael Clarey I was amazed to find that the Lord had graciously allowed many of my hearts desires to be fulfilled. Yet, I was also disappointed that one did not have the priority I hoped it would have, that was to memorize and hide in my heart scripture more. It is a worthy and truly life-long goal that this year I pray I put more time and discipline into.

This journey with the Lord is not one in which you can ever achieve fulfillment. The more you grow, the more you realize there is so much room to grow and as I begin a new year, I want to confess I need Him more than ever before. The more I read and learn about Jesus the more I realize my life is far from His…

“I could not make out what I was seeing because the glory shining from my armor made it difficult to see into the darkness. I asked Wisdom if there was something that I could cover my armor so I could see it. He then gave me a very plain mantel to put on. “What is this?” I inquired, a little insulted by its drabness. “Humility,” said Wisdom. “You will not be able to see very well without it.” Reluctantly I put it on and immediately I saw many things that I could not see before. I looked toward the valley and the movement I had seen. To my astonishment there was an entire division of the enemy horde that was waiting to ambush anyone who ventured from the mountain.”
The Final Quest by Rick Joyner

What will really last as a legacy beyond our death? Only the intangible, invisible, Spirit things last forever. Not the material… even what we think of now as good things. Jesus was the good shepherd that left the ninety-nine in a field to go after the one lost lamb, how are we following that example today? I am challenged and as I start this year I can’t help but focus on the power of relationships and the way they teach us and help us to grow with Jesus. One thing I feel very sure of as I enter a new year is that although there is much to learn, if I just do what I have already been taught – if I am obedient to the lessons already given to me, wisdom will be proven correct. In America today we are so overwhelmed with materials – self-help for every possible subject – but God’s word never changes and neither does He – He is the same: yesterday, today and forever. I desire to be more intentional to the simple, everyday truths revealed like treasures throughout the Bible – truths like “Love your neighbor as yourself.” So, what has that looked like for me lately?

I was very blessed this year for Christmas to go to Seattle with my friend Andrea from Washington and spend the holidays with her family. To enter into someone else’s story and seek to embrace all the love and pain they know is to attempt to love someone as you love yourself. I have much to learn about what this means, but I was given the unique opportunity to try and live it out for 8 days in a new part of the country, with new friends and family, and Andrea was also given the same opportunity in a different way to host me and seek to allow me to enter in. What a gift! What a challenge! It was a beautiful time and as single women a time when we decided to enter into our stories with courage and prayer, to walk through what we were struggling with and share it together. I pray this year when friendships get hard I would continue to press in deeper – deeper through my own insecurities and selfishness and put on another’s to love more purely.


“Friendship is one of the greatest gifts a human being can receive. It is a bond beyond common goals, common interests, or common histories. It is a bond stronger than sexual union can create, deeper than a shared fate can solidify, and even more intimate than the bonds of marriage or community. Friendship is being with the other in joy and sorrow, even when we cannot increase the joy or decrease the sorrow. It is a unity of souls that gives nobility and sincerity to love. Friendship makes all of life shine brightly. Blessed are those who lay down their lives for their friends.” Henri Nouwen

In the work part of my life I am realizing more how to do what I know I should now and not procrastinate until things pile up and I am purposely avoiding that project altogether. I am realizing that as my gifts and personality dictate, working alone is not a healthy place for me and that I need to actively engage as many as I can to come alongside me. Please pray with my office as we seek space alongside my church for this coming year. It is an incredible gift to think of working alongside the pastors and staff that I value so highly at Church of the Resurrection for the next year – to be able to have the synergy once again that comes with allowing others to hear ideas and pray together over the ministry. Community is the true joy that work in ministry has meant for me and I was very blessed this past week to have the chance to work from the Roseville, CA office and get to know my co-workers better by working with them physically in the same place. Please pray for the ministry staff – Julie, Michelle and myself as we seek to work with diligence and excellence to accomplish what vision that the Lord has placed on Pastor Jackson’s heart and pray that we may be unified to be able to serve with joy alongside one another. One huge work project I just was able to finish alongside my Flagler friend and graphic designer, Joey Tomassoni, was the design for the National Celebration 2006 Bible Believers Convention (BBC) that we hold annually each October in Kampala. The dates for this year’s conference are October 2-6, 2006 and part of my role within the ministry is to recruit Americans to join in short-term missions capacities to help build up the infrastructure of Uganda – physically as well as spiritually. Please join me in lifting up the next 10 months of planning and preparation (and let me know if you would like more information regarding this conference). Pray also for Uganda as it is in a political hot place right now. The national elections are slated for March and there is much anxiety to know what will happen. The current president, Museveni has been in office for almost 20 years and his term limit is up, but he is actively seeking to change the constitution because he believes he still has more to do. The leading front runner opponent Besigye’s supporters have caused havoc around Kampala as he was brought back from exile and then was held in prison. There are many spiritual things going on here and I believe our prayers can help dictate what happens in this election. Please remember Uganda in your prayers these next few months. As I return to Uganda in May to help continue to plan the BBC much of what I will be able to do will be determined by this election.

I am so grateful to have each of you as a part of my life and I pray that we would all continue to learn what is heavy on the heart of God and become more involved in it this year, allowing the chaff to blow off all that is not necessary. This spring is an exciting one as I enter into coordinating the Perspectives class I took last spring on the History of the World Christian Movement, serve with my church on a prayer team as well as the International Partnership Committee and join a new Rez Group (what our church is calling small groups). I am glad to be in Washington, DC for perhaps the last year, and I do plan to make the most of the time with friends, experiences and time of prayer and growth. I would also ask you to keep in prayer the National Prayer Breakfast, as it is coming up and all the events that surround it on February 2, 2006. I leave you with a prayer that has been helping me to grow this last month.

“O Holy Spirit of God come again to my heart and fill me. I open the windows of my soul to let you in, come and possess me, fill me with light and truth. Of myself I am an empty vessel: fill me that I may live the life of the Spirit. The life of truth and goodness, the life of wisdom and strength, the life of beauty and love. And guide me today in all things: guide me to the people I should meet and help, to the circumstances in which I may serve God, whether by my actions or by my suffering: but above all make Christ to be formed in me, that I may dethrone self in my heart and make him king. Bind me to Christ by all the ways, known and unknown, by holy thoughts and sacramental ties, that He may be in me, and I in Him, this day and forever.”
- Walter Julius Carey
- Bishop of Bloemfontein, 1921-1934


I pray this year that as we get caught up in doing the things of God that we would not lose the sweet intimacy of God.

Amen,

Brooke