Since our last post, a lot has happened. We asked you guys to pray for God to open up doors for us to share the vision God has given us about service. Well, as we have been praying, God has been opening doors for us to spread this mission. We have seen things here in the cafe happening through the volunteers as well as the people that come to eat with us.
We have been so blessed this month with great volunteers. One of those volunteers is Eliezeri from Uganda. Elie, as we call him, speaks very little English — mostly French and Swahili. I have been spending a lot of time helping him learn to cook and also trying to learn some Swahili, and he has been trying to learn English. Elie is such a blessing, and he was placed here by God and for God’s purpose. We also have a great core group of volunteers that can run this cafe without me if need be.
It’s funny that Elie showed up when he did, because we have been asked to go to Uganda to teach the people over there a new cooking technique. In the villages, the ladies of the house cook and the children are there as well. They cook on open fires, and this produces a lot of smoke. These women and children are experiencing breathing problems and tear duct damage, and they struggle to find enough wood to cook with. Elie knows all about this and says it is terrible. We will be trained in the states on a technique that will produce 75 percent less wood, which will produce less smoke and cook more efficiently. This technique is called the Rocket Stove and is built with things found locally in the villages, such as sand, clay and straw.
I know many of you might wonder why we would have to go all the way over there to do something. I’ve had the same thought — I have never wanted or had a desire to go anywhere but right here to serve people because there are so many that need help in our backyard.
So at first, we said no way, but as we prayed, we realized this was of God and He wanted us to go as a family. The trip just so happens to fall on the girls’ spring break, and Tara had asked off for most of that week already — How did that happen? You also might be thinking, “You’re taking your kids to Africa? You must be crazy!” Well, yes, a little — but we serve God as a family through the cafe, and we feel He wants us to serve Him together in Africa. Of course, we would rather go to Disney World for Spring break, but this will be so much more rewarding and be something we will never forget.
We know God will protect us and He wants to do a mighty work in all of us. We are all excited to see what God is going to do in and through us during this time. We also feel He is just getting us to the point where we realize why He has called us into this ministry at Ransom Cafe. He is making us realize it is all about Him and His plan for us. We believe this trip will make us better servants to others when we come back.
We ask that you pray for us that the passport process will be smooth, that the girls and Matt don’t scream too much when they get their shots and that we follow the steps He has set before us. If you feel led to give financially toward this trip, you can send monetary contributions to us at our address; make checks payable to Four Corners Ministries.
All For His Glory
