Heroes of the Faith: Revisiting Hebrews 11

It has been another glorious day in the Namatala slum.  Over dinner tonight, we spent time sharing as a team the many ways we saw God working today.  Papa Warren shared something so precious that I knew it had to be in tonight's blog post.  So even though blogging for the trip is typically my duty and honor, Papa graciously wrote down the sweet words he spoke tonight.  Take a moment to read and enjoy with all the photos, and praise God with us for His glorious ways and for these precious children. --Sherri

This you've just got to read, from Papa Warren:

“But Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

Today in the village was beyond explanation! God continues to manifest Himself in real and undeniable ways and today was no exception.  I spent most of today in awe of my “heroes of the faith”, the young people who comprise over a third of our team…Molly Beth- age 9, Sadie-age 10, Sara-age 10, Mary Joy-11, Nathan-age 13, John Hayden-age 13, Riley-age 17.



I always enter each day that we are with a team in Mbale wondering who God is going to use to blow me away? That’s the beauty of being in the midst of God’s arena of miracles, there is NEVER any doubt that you are going to be blown away by His amazing goodness and as I said before, today was no exception.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that today was going to be special as the moment the doors of the bus opened my “heroes of the faith” went into action.  As adults, God often has to push us into action but not this special group of young people…as soon as the bus stopped they sprung into action.  They sang, they danced, they ran, they jumped, they were extremely silly, and by the end of the day they were extremely dirty…because they had allowed God to use them unconditionally to bring joy to close to 200 children! Oh, that we as adults could grasp this spirit of unbridled devotion to being on mission for God.



As I watched God’s love in action unfold before me the above verse from Matthew 19:14 kept coming to mind but today I came to understand it in a totally different light.  Today I think I truly grasped the real meaning of Jesus’ stern rebuke of His disciples as they tried to work a preset agenda by trying to restrict the children from coming to Jesus because they were “messing up the schedule”!

  

After watching these “children” allow the life of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ flow through their surrendered hearts, God stirred my heart in a very special way.  I truly think Jesus recognized that for His Kingdom to move forward, those children that the disciples were trying to turn away would be the very ones who would be on the front lines charging forth with joy and unbridled love!



How often do we restrict the Work of the Lord by “limiting” the participation of those whom Christ Himself declared were the very foundation of His future earthly Kingdom with the Words “for such is the Kingdom of God."



Thank you my beautiful heroes, for today I experienced first-hand the power of “child-like faith” as you selflessly allowed yourselves to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the “least of these”… Well done good and faithful servants!!!