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View from dad's boat at sunset - Punta Gorda, FL

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Toronto trip -

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Brooke's Uganda Ministry Update #6

Brooke’s Uganda Ministry Update #6 – Sunday, March 19, 2006

“Nothing can bring me peace with God, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can make your people one, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
– “Nothin’” by Chris Rice

This is the song I woke up singing on this 19th day of the fast I am engaging in. I am realizing more and more that apart from God, I can do nothing. Even if I try to do things to please God or even out of obedience, if I am at all relying on my own strength or experience, it will be in vain. His light can cut through my darkness and the darkness that surrounds me as soon as I cry out and rely on His strength. As soon as I try and do it myself though, I am bound for disaster. I was reflecting this morning on why God originally created us – in the Garden He desired to have communion with us, created in His own image, He created man. Yet not too long after in this beautiful place that He placed us in His creation did we choose to follow our own way through the temptation of Satan in the form of a serpent. How we still make that choice so many times a day – to go our own way! I am lamenting especially during this fast because I see how God has specifically called me to a different season of coming out and being apart with Him and still how my rebellion rises up in this season but in different ways, or perhaps it is just more highlighted. Does it not rend your heart, brothers and sisters to know that God wants us to seek after holiness, as He is holy? (1st Peter 1:16)

I was blessed on Ash Wednesday to be able to attend a morning service at Church of the Resurrection’s host church, Christ Our Shepherd and Pastor Stewart McAlpine taught much on fasting which was an encouragement to me. He brought in a whole new concept of what it is we can be called to during Lent that I had never heard before but has helped me retain focus even when temptations come to lure me and distract my heart. He referenced Jesus’ words at the Last Supper.
Luke 22:17 & 18
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
In the same way Jesus broke the bread and gave the same charge to His disciples. Stewart was teaching us here that in a sense Jesus is fasting these until He comes again in the fullness of His kingdom and so, when we are called into a season of fasting, we are called to be with Him, He is wooing us to Himself! This is a radical and exciting realization of what I am in… I need to remember this daily. What I am called to is counter-cultural and can be challenging, but Jesus is in it with me! I am so humbled truly to have this opportunity to be with Him and joining in His work of intercession. For those interested, this is the call that I responded to regarding this season of fasting.

THE CALL
Thus, for Revival, for the shifting of the Supreme Court and the ending of abortion, for the Middle East crisis and the freedom of a billion souls from the vice grip of Islam, and for the security and salvation of Israel, Dutch Sheets, Mike Bickle, Francis Frangipane, and I are calling for one million intercessors to 40 days of fasting beginning on MARCH 1 (Ash Wednesday) to APRIL 9 (Passover Sunday and the 100-year anniversary of the Azusa Street Outpouring that began at Bonnie Brae Street). For more information about praying and fasting, specific prayer targets, and daily articles from Mike, Francis, Dutch and I, visit www.facedown40.com. Could we be on the verge of the great worldwide outpouring? - Lou Engle

In this last month of so I have begun to learn more what intercessory prayer entails and what the Lord has in mind for us to be engaging in when we pray and this has been a natural partner to the fasting discipline I have been learning. I want to share with you another revolutionary truth that I have been seeking to grasp with regards to this.

Webster defines intercede as: "to go or pass between; to act between parties with a view to reconcile those who differ or contend; to interpose; to mediate or make intercession; mediation." Mediate means "between two extremes; to interpose between parties as the equal friend of each; to negotiate between parties as the equal friend of each; to negotiate between persons at variance with a view to reconciliation; to mediate a peace; intercession."
"Jesus isn't praying for us; He is interceding for us so we can pray. This is what is meant by asking "in His name. It means our prayers of intercession are always and only an extension of His work of intercession." – Dutch Sheets from Intercessory Prayer

Just as in fasting, Jesus goes before and we are called into, so in intercessory prayer, He is interceding for us even now and we can join Him in this place. I am excited about this! I am also glad to begin to put it into practice and help others learn these truths. I have been given the opportunity to do that at my church through our prayer team and our International Partnership Team that we have just created in which I am serving to lead our prayer component. I am so grateful not only to be learning these truths and put them into practice, but also I pray, be able to motivate and engage others in these truths.

As far as work goes some exciting buzz has been generating around Washington involving Northern Uganda due to the Invisible Children filmmakers and a team of young people that are crossing the country in a RV came and shared the film for 12 days in the Nation’s Capitol. The viewings happened in churches, universities, government buildings, you name it. It was an incredible project to be a small part of with a team of NGO’s and others who are concerned about the violence in Northern Uganda and what arose out of the viewings will take time to fully know. I believe showing the film is like planting a seed, only the Lord knows what the full impact will be, but many new hearts were exposed and for that I rejoice! If you have seen the film and you felt, like many, what do I do now? One event that Invisible Children is putting on in 130 cities nationwide is something called the Global Night Commute. This event will allow everyday citizens to demonstrate their displeasure with what is happening by going into the downtown parts of their cities and holding an all-night vigil of sorts, complete in some places with sleeping bags and showing solidarity for the children of Northern Uganda who commute nightly to sleep on the streets of the downtown cities of their nation: Gulu, Kitgum and others. Would you consider sleeping in the downtown of Orlando, Los Angeles, New York or Washington if your demonstration could make a child’s story heard? Something to consider and if you are interested let me know if you live in Washington, DC because I am forming a team to help promote the event here – the date is April 29th and if you are interested to see if your city is represented, check out www.invisiblechildren.com. The viewings for me also allowed me to let people in my city know more about the ministry I work for and give people a practical way to help since we build orphan homes in Lira, Northern Uganda and many of the children we have available for sponsorship are orphans due to this conflict. If you are interested in finding out how your $25 a month could sponsor one of these little ones, or your church or small group might want to help build one of these homes that house 8-12 little ones, go to our website: www.christianlifeministries.org. Besides just your time and money, I would plead with you that if you begin to become aware of what is going on in Northern Uganda’s human rights disaster or if you hear of any wars or rumors of war, don’t let your heart become hardened but let your distress move you to pray. Prayer is effective and mighty (James 5:16) and we are not fighting just physical problems in these nations, but these conflicts have deep seated spiritual roots, which is precisely why it has been over 20 years for these things not to fully be ended yet…

“Africa’s not an issue. It’s not a cause or a problem. It’s a continent
- a complicated, confusing, beautiful continent, with wealth and
poverty, peace and strife, success and tragedy. When Africa becomes a
cause, we tend to see only one side of the continent - a helpless,
dependent, starving side that “needs our help”.
- Ethan Zuckerman

I love this quote! I first read it at a church service I went to in a movie theater in Toronto last month and I thought it summed up so well what I really believe and want people to know when they hear so much tragedy in Africa. The Invisible Children film does a great job of conveying this to viewers as well because they end by saying that Africa is full of hope and the children involved with this crisis are so resilient – so much more than we know in the United States. At this church service in Toronto a Malawi bishop was being interviewed about his life and his struggle with HIV and the epidemic that this nation faces and the church’s response to it. I am glad that we in the church are beginning to awaken to our call to this so-called leprosy of our generation. I am so glad that I was able to take this trip to Toronto over President’s Day weekend also. I was with my dear friend Jackie, who was my co-worker in Toronto for the Center for Student Missions in summer of 2001 and we went to re-unite with another co-worker Laurie. It was a trip full of memories and celebrations. We were able to stay with my wonderfully generous aunt and her cat Paisley and use her warm apartment as a launching pad for adventures and a place to rest and enjoy her company and watch the Canadians compete at the Olympics. I am so grateful to have been able to take a trip to Canada this year as I am not sure if another one will happen before moving to Australia (although it might as my mom and step-dad discuss a possible one in June). Congratulations to Laurie and Matt also as they celebrate engagement!

Speaking of marriage, this past month has provided opportunity for me to celebrate with two other couple’s as well making their commitments into holy matrimony. Shana and Michael Glenzer wed on February, 25, 2006 only a few blocks from my house in Southwest Washington, DC and Jennica and Dave Whitfield wed only two hours from my hometown in Desoto, FL last weekend (March 11, 2006). Both weddings were precious reminders of the Lord’s great grace and the perfect plan and timing He has in our lives. I will be putting photos on my blog from these weddings as well as from the Toronto trip, so if you are interested, please go to: www.brookesintladventures.blogspot.com. I know how incredibly blessed I am to be able to travel so freely and I must thank God for the friends and family I have enjoyed sweet fellowship with recently. It was wonderful to have been able to see my family last weekend since it was the first time since August that I have seen them or been in Florida (7 months, the longest separation, but a good weaning since overseas living won’t enable much of that!). Thank you dad and Jan for allowing me to enjoy time on the boat with you, thank you mom and Dan for driving down from Jacksonville to Tampa to spend time and thank you Jean-Paul for taking off work to join us for church and for taking me to the Renaissance Festival with you and enter your world and meet your friends. What a joy it was also to dress in shorts and t-shirts and enjoy sweet fellowship with Audra at her house and for taking the time to spend on Monday morning. I am so blessed and all I can say is thank you!

Relationships are so precious to me and I am so grateful to the community here in Washington that also welcomes in my guests. Josh and Tamara Mathew and their daughters Emma and Josie stayed with my roommates and me last week and I was able to share them with our Perspectives group, my small group and even in my house and learn how to pray for New Tribes Mission and for them in particular as missionaries. This family of God in which some are called to the inner cities of America and others to the smallest tribe and ethno-linguistic group of Papua New Guinea is truly an inspiration to be apart of and participating in!

I also want to say congratulations to a few other friends celebrating milestones this past month. Congratulations to Gena and Jason Hovey who celebrated the birth of their fist child, a daughter Elizabeth Claire, for Justin and Bethany Forbes who had the birth of their first child, a son Noah, for the news of Jessica and Jeremy Johnson’s second pregnancy, for Jacque and Scott Watson’s second pregnancy, for Katie and Joey Tomassoni’s second pregnancy and for Dominic and Mary Scine’s first pregnancy! Truly the lives of my dear friends are changing rapidly, but it is so amazing to see the life and fruitfulness of these marriages!

Well dear ones, I know this is long, but thank you for bearing with me and I pray we can continue to grow together and learn what the Lord means for us in our intersecting lives. If there are specifics I can pray for you or your family, please let me know. For me, you can pray that I will be focused and pressing into all the Lord has for me in these next 21 days and that His will be accomplished during this time. Pray also for an office space for my work and partnership with the clergy of my church. Thank you so much for your faithfulness…

In love and joy,
Brooke

Brooke, Shannon and Liz

Brooke and Collin

Brooke and Meredith

Brooke and Joannella at their shared birthday party!