Flagler Magazine Article

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Travels, Friends, Parties & Life in DC

Florida weekend for the Rotary Seminar

Brooke's Uganda Ministry Update #9

Brooke’s Uganda Ministry Update #9 July 10, 2006

Dear Loved Ones,

I remember a quote I read once that said something like, “If I go alone, I can leave now, but if I go with someone else I must wait until morning…” The beauty of being in a deep and intimate relationship with someone is that you are not alone in living your life and the sacrifice is that there is a waiting or of putting their needs above your own. Friends, I recently heard a sermon from Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City that is part of a series he did several years ago on marriage. He said that there is a second tier of feminist research that discusses gender roles. The research shows that women as they mature see themselves as becoming more connected in relationships whereas men see themselves as becoming more separate. I am realizing that I am maturing because I recognize this desire for connectedness more and more and valuing my independence less and less. I still recognize my desire for down time with myself, yet my priority to be in relationship with others, with one other in particular has trumped that alone time. Tom and I have grown significantly closer in the past 5 weeks and although he has been in China now for the last two and a half weeks I am able to say with full confidence being with him is so much better than being without him.

“There is no wilderness like a life without friends; friendship multiplies blessings and minimizes misfortunes; it is a unique remedy against adversity, and it soothes the soul.”
- Baltasar Gracian

These past two and a half weeks that Tom has been in China (he’s in the western province of Xining working with the Uyghyr people group) have been so good for me to reflect on what the Lord has been doing in my heart. It has been somewhat of a whirlwind romance and we fit in getting to be with Tom’s family and friends in Cleveland, OH and Detroit, MI the weekend before he went to China. In all the flurry of activities: concerts at Wolftrap, Tom’s triathlon in Delaware, parties galore, church priorities, Global Day of Prayer, etc. there is a sense that the companionship we are enjoying is only deepening and that everything I learn about him gets me more excited to learn more. I’d appreciate your prayers for us as we continue to pursue the Lord in this relationship and for this next 10 days apart to hear clearly the Lord’s voice.

Genesis 2:18 The LORD god said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

For so much of my life I have been making decisions to suit me… sometimes out of a sense of calling and purpose that the Lord had put something before me, and only in recent years out of another sense that relationships were important. Truly, I recognize that my desire to truly go to Australia for the Rotary scholarship was an underlying desire to be studying in a nation that I had friends in and relationships with that I desired to grow deeper in. The stated mission of a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship is to promote Rotary’s ideal of world peace, goodwill and understanding. In order to do this they send scholars from different nations to other nations to study. Truly these ideals they recognize begin with relationships being formed from different parts of the world. I am honored to have been selected a scholar to enhance this ideal and was recently at a Rotary Foundation Seminar in Winter Park, FL that helped remind all of us out-bound scholars what the ideals truly were and what was expected of us as we go abroad. It was an encouraging time to be together with others who have also been granted this opportunity and hear from past scholars, Rotarians and others who are going all around the globe. I appreciated the diversity and the backgrounds that different scholars brought to the table and again was reminded of my own personal goals and how Rotary compliments and sustains those. However, I also realized that if I am going to build better friendships and yet sacrifice possibly the most important friendship for the sake of furthering other goals (be they mine or the Rotary’s); I am again living for my own goals and not those of relationship. There are many decisions to consider in the coming months concerning my future and I would appreciate prayers for wisdom and I discern timing and true calling.

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it! "
- William H. Murray, "The Scottish Himalaya Expedition", 1951

I was given an incredible opportunity this 4th of July to help coordinate the prayer tent for an evangelistic event that happened on the National Mall called – Christ on the Mall (www.christonthemall.org). This was the 21st year for this event and this year the organization received 2 blocks to use from the National Park Service in front of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum with which to set up their tents. There were 6 tents dedicated to evangelism, one for hospitality (giving out cold water in the 95 degree heat) and one for prayer. It was an incredible gift that came at the last minute for me to spend my 4th of July in that way serving the Lord and inviting friends from different churches to join me in this endeavor. Every year there are thousands of people who come to Washington, DC specifically to enjoy the parade, Smithsonian Folk Life Festival and of course the fireworks. From 10 AM-9 PM (with the exception of being evacuated during a horrendous thunderstorm) my friends and I were available to pray with whoever desired. Honestly, there weren’t many who came up to the tent, but we were able to pray with those going out to evangelize and to just spend a day intentionally prayerful was a gift in itself. I was much more aware of the people walking by and more inwardly focused on praying the Lord’s will for those seemingly anonymous people.

“We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war. That’s not all it is, but it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to not knowing this very proof. Prayer is primarily a war time walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the power of the darkness and unbelief. It’s not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we use it as a private intercom to call up for more comforts in the den.”
- John Piper

I have been reflecting on prayer much lately in my role to help coordinate prayer events for Church of the Resurrection. This past month especially I was able to help host three distinct events that brought together believers from our community to pray. The first was the Global Day of Prayer event I wrote about in my last e-mail that took place on June the 4th. This gathering had over 50 from a variety of churches and denominations represented gathered in a friends house praying specifically for our city, our nation, the church and the nations. Then, on June 15th I was able to host a gathering to send off Laura Waters and Jeannie Hall, two amazing women from our church that were headed to Rwanda to work on a film documenting the reconciliation that has happened in that nation post-genocide. Over 25 gathered in our living room to hear what they were going out to do and specifically how to pray for the situations they were going to be walking into. From the reports we have heard that the Lord has responded in mighty ways to those prayers. Jeannie has already returned safely and has brought back an excitement and Laura continues to film for another week and then will begin the editing process. Pray that this film challenges the church in the West to look at what reconciliation truly means and that healing will come not only in Rwanda but all across the world because of the healing taking place there. The third event was the first of many I hope to initiate as part of the International Partnership Council (IPC) – it was a regional event focused on SE Asia. It was a small group of us gathered on Friday night, June 30th – but I was so moved as I heard stories shared from those who have seen what is happening on the ground – from the political situation in Burma, to religious persecution issues in Sri Lanka, to the slums of India and the non-profits of the Philippines. There is so much to learn and yet coming in prayer is not a passive way to handle the pain and heaviness of the situation – but allows you to engage your faith in a way of taking it back to the Lord the injustice you learn about. One of our pastors, Mark Booker was sharing last night about how foolish prayer is to the world… when everything seems to be falling apart why would you close your eyes and begin speaking to the air? It doesn’t seem rational! Yet, exactly in that place is where I have found my center and peace that passes all understanding. For the believer we know it is the most important way we can cope. I also have seen amazing results from time spent in prayer. Perhaps if I went into it with a specific outcome in mind, it wasn’t always exactly as I had hoped… but the answer always comes. This is the reason I will continue to serve as a prayer minister, use nights off as times to gather for prayer for a variety of issues and choose to get up early in the morning each Wednesday to gather with a diverse group to pray for Washington, DC. I hope you too can discover the beauty, intimacy and power of God through the gift of prayer both in solitude and in community.

Acts 4:29-31
“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

In terms of my work – I have been here in Washington the past few weeks but am preparing for one more trip to California before a six week trip to Uganda beginning in early September. There is much to do as Pastor Jackson and his family prepares to head back to Uganda for several months – so as much as I have missed Tom these past few weeks – Pastor Jackson has appreciated my increased availability! Please continue to pray for the conference I am helping bring Americans to in October. Once I get on the ground in September there will be many details to arrange and I will need the Lord’s grace and favor in a large way.

You can also lift up my house and housemates. Anita, Joannella and I only have until the end of August to be together and it is a bittersweet ending to a wonderful season. Pray that the Lord opens up the right housing opportunity for both of these amazing women as He continues to reveal His good plans for their lives. We have so enjoyed the time together and we do have wonderful times ahead also. Joannella’s sister and nephew are staying with us this week and Anita and Jerald are celebrating a joint birthday party on Friday – so indeed there are ample opportunities left to still enjoy sharing life. Pray also for me as I sort through two years of living in the same house (my first time since high school) that I would have wisdom in my simplification and discernment on what to keep, what to give away and what to throw away. It is a freeing thing to think of packing only two suitcases and perhaps storing a few boxes at a friend’s house and also hard to let go. I know many of you can relate to these feelings and I appreciate your prayers.

I think I’ll end there – but I do also want to say how grateful I am for your friendship. It was wonderful to be with some old friends and family this past month as well – Jessica Johnson, her mom and daughter Mari, Vil, Katie, Joey and Sophia Tomassoni, Guy, mom and Dan, dad and Jan, Jean-Paul, Erin, Debbie, Nan Ellen… and to meet so many new friends – Mary Ann, John and Kelly Nicholson, Johnny and Laura, Aunt June, Jessica and Kirk, Susie and Paul Decker, Greg, Aaron, Aitor and Betsy, Bernard, Fay, Nichole, Sam, Francelle, Leanne and so many Rotarians that I can’t even keep track! Truly, I know that regardless of how much money I may have in the bank – I am rich because of the relationships I enjoy and so glad to be living life together.

All my love, Brooke

PS – from time to time check out my blog and I promise to put new photos in after sending each update: www.brookesintladventures@blogspot.com