Praise and Worship

The seminar in Lalmonirhat was a blast of an event. The participants enjoyed the music. The teaching was good and the programme well organised. The most encouraging thing for me was the number of dedicated Christians with a commitment to trusting in God. There was a Christian TV-producer and a lady who, in-spite of physical challenges (She lost her sight when graduating from high school.) has a job and sings on national radio. These role models helped all feel proud of being Christians and gave a sense that Christians can do well in Bangladesh. The most important part of their message, I think, was that they both praise God for being with them in the challenges that life brings – rather than pray that he would take them out of the difficult situations they get in. The blind lady did not ask that we pray for her to get her sight – though there were several people whose ministry is to pray for the sick. Her testimony was about a God who was with her.

I enjoyed touring the city during breaks with Liton and Elsie. (Friends at LAMB) Liton is from Lalmonirhat. In the past Liton has always talked about how everybody would call to him if he walked down the streets of Lalmonirhat, and invite him to come visit. He gave the impression that he was a bit of a celebrity in his home town. I never really took him seriously. As we toured the city together people called to him, invited him to come visit. He might not be a film star or a sports idol but there is no doubt that he is at least as popular as he said. We managed to visit eight different friends in less than three hours and there were many who were left out.

Praise and Worship

This weekend a group of teenagers from LAMB Congregation are going to participate in a nationwide Praise and Worship Seminar a couple of hours north of Parbatipur. We leave shortly before work finishes Thursday and plan to return Sunday morning, except that I have to be back by Saturday evening for a farewell for a shorttermer at the school.
Please praise and give thanks for this seminar.
The music will be a mix of contemporary western worship processed and recreated as Bangladeshi songs along with genuine praise from the hearts of the youth here. Pray that we will not only feel closer to God at the seminar, but will walk away from Lalmonirhat in closer relationship with the one who is worthy of our praise.

A break

It is the last weekend before the end of term. I have been tidying and getting ready for teen-group today. There is one more week to go before the summer holidays and more than ever do I feel the need for a break.
Yet, there is so much to do. At half past seven this morning a local believer came by to ask for a loan. She wants to buy a goat-kid and raise it so that in nine months time she can have more kids (goats) and start moving out of poverty.
The way out of dependency is long and filled with risks; a goat is so easy to steal, and so easy for her husband or son to sell if they need a little money. It has to be cared for almost like a child and all of that just so that the family has a little more food - in nine months time.
Twenty five years ago some poor families were given a piece of land to live on. It wasn't clear to everybody who the land belonged to or what right they had to be there – or perhaps it was - but today, these families live on land that is worth millions of taka and yet remain poor because they can't come to an agreement with the legal owner - a church - about who has the Right to the land.
Twenty five years ago it was a good gift that someone gave these poor families, today they are no better of because somewhere during these years they decided they wanted all the land for themselves; and the church decided it wanted it back.
I know these two aren't related, except for that they are part of poverty, but it is with fear and trembling that I give a loan (US$ 10, GB£ 5 or DKK 50) to someone so that she can buy a goat. Not that I doubt her intentions, not that I doubt her need, but I sincerely doubt that poverty will concede defeat and give her the break she so sorely needs.
May God have mercy upon her.

Surrender

This morning I read an email informing us that one potential teacher candidate wasn’t going to come teach at LAMB School. I felt like giving up and wondered whether I had misunderstood God’s plan for us. I was wondering about times when I hadn’t searched God’s will as it seemed like He was telling us O Levels weren’t going to happen. As I entered the school grounds, I surrendered it and our future into God’s hands and prayed for the students who had been hoping to do their O Levels here. Before lunch one person offered to teach two subjects and suggested another teacher for a third. I still don’t know how God will provide someone to teach Physics, Chemistry and Biology but I know it is in His hands. Thank you God and thank you readers for your prayers.