Interior Work

Brother Lawrence has sent a few more pictures of the interior work this past weekend:

Glory to God for another moment to praise and thank Him. We had a blessed service with several visitors today, despite the wet floor and the wet cement on the walls.

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The plastering of some parts of the walls is going on while we await prayerfully to be able to fix the pipes that house the electric wiring. The doors are being welded and should be ready by the middle of the week.

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God has been so good to us. We praise and glorify His name. Without His favor, we can do nothing. We are praying the Lord for funds for electric wiring and the completion of the latrines, etc. But with grateful hearts, we are going on.

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He shall establish

Brother Lawrence has sent an update on the building progress today:

Praise the Dear Lord!! He is good and faithful and will never leave nor forsake His children, as He promised. Now the building work has started again... The gaps on the walls have now been filled and the walls are ready for plaster. Glory to God. The floor work has already begun and has progressed some. It should be finished this week, if the cement will be enough, but we are going at the speed the Lord allows us to go at. He has done so much for us, we are grateful and happy. He has taken us so far, actually farther than we can be able to describe in words. Glory to God for all His love and mercies. The outside doors have been ordered and are being welded. We have to use metal doors because of the white ants which eat timber. (Our timber is not treated well enough and these ants here would have a feast). The Lord has been so good to us. Praise His holy name!

These children are excited after the Sunday service. Everyone is grateful and happy as they see the answers to prayers for the building to be finished.

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God's purposes are wonderful. They are worth waiting on. Worth suffering for and meditating on. That's because God cares much more about the process and the built-in qualities than the external results. Truly, He works to establish us in Himself.

We start out simply with "raw materials."

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It is the wise builder who sees the full potential. As we face the trials and testings of our faith, I am blessed to consider God's purpose: "But the God of all grace, who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." (1 Peter 5:10)

The work on flooring the Bible Center gives us a view of this spiritual process at "the ground level:"

To provide a solid foundation for the cement, the "hardcore" is laid first. Each piece is put in place and beaten level.

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A good example of Ephesians 4:2: "with lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." No place to get edgy under pressure or exalt oneself...

After the hardcore is pressed firmly together, a wheelbarrow runs down the plank and dumps its load of murram...

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Pressed and smothered? It's time to be looking at the heavenly perspective - "For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called." (1 Cor. 1:26)

Loading and spreading the murram to give a smooth surface for the concrete mix.

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When individual identity is forgotten, and God's will alone matters... that's where the work of God can really begin. "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things, and things which are despised... that no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Cor. 1:27-29) Praise Him!

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When We Wait

We are impatient people. We like to get what we want when we want it. Waiting seems to be something to get "over with." But God is teaching me that there is more. There is much to gain when we wait.

Those in Makindu waited for the Bible Center to get finished. But delays increase appreciation. "Makindu congregation is so grateful to have a place of shelter as they worship and study the word of God," brother Lawrence reports.

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More waiting is needed for windows, doors, and toilets. More waiting before the dream of a trade school can become reality. But the Master of the work is worth waiting on. "The costs are too much for us," the brother says, "but what is impossible for the Lord? What He has done for us so far was unimaginable when we came here. Praise the Lord."

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They waited on Him for rain... for crops to grow.

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Now they wait for the harvest of maize in another month. Expectation grows as they wait. Photo: An elderly sister with several of the orphans in their care.

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They waited for food to be stocked in the stores again - for enough money to buy some. Even these most basic necessities become precious as we wait. When we don't lack, we don't know realize the greatness of our blessings. "Meals after service in this time of famine are a great help to the congregation. We are so grateful to God for food is now available locally at a cheaper rate, as some is now being harvested."

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Yes, God has designed waiting. He has more in the mind than the end result. Delays change our perspective. Our desire may diminish - or increase. Intervening events affect us. We are tested and proved. Where are we turning for answers, for fulfillment? On whom are we waiting?

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." Psalm 62:5

Do I value what God is able to accomplish - enough to wait on Him?

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Thank you for all that have been praying for the roofing project and famine needs. Brother Lawrence sent in a brief update today:

Praise the Dear Lord for all His great love and grace. We praise the Lord for helping us, at long last, to finish the most difficult part of the building project --the roofing. We are so grateful to God and all those saints who worked so close with us to get this far. Glory to God. By ourselves, we would not have gone this far. Saints here are so grateful that some are spending some time in the building praying, praising, and singing to God for all His gracious deeds to us. The rest can be done slowly and as time and funds allow. Our stalled projects can now be started in January. Praise the Dear Lord for all His goodness. We are so grateful to all of the children of God who so fervently prayed for us and did all they could for God's glory. Amen.

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Also the rains have come and have been falling for the last week. The crops (and other vegetation) are now germinating. There is a great encouragement from the Lord for every one as they see His love and look forward to getting out of the famine by January next year, Lord willing. In about two week's time, the greens will be ready for eating. Praise the Lord.

Roofing Update

Brother Lawrence reports that several iron sheets have now been added to the Center building this week.

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"This is the farthest we are able to go with the roofing, given the resources the Lord had put on our hands," he says. "The Dear Lord has been so gracious as to get us this far. We are now able to use the part of the building that is roofed without having to bake in the sun or getting wet as we used to do before. Praise the Lord.

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"The progress has been slow. but the blessings we have received as we have worked on have been many and wonderful. We plan to fix the iron sheets bit by bit as we get the funds, but we need the Lord's intervention so that the timber will not warp as it gets dried up by the sun. All the same, God has been so good to us. Glory, glory to His name."

Brick upon Brick

Sometimes it seems we are doing the same thing over again. Repetition is certainly part of life, but it can be hard to find inspiration - especially when the task is difficult, dull or discouraging. It is easier to measure the aches and pains and feel the drag. It is harder to lift our eyes to see the big picture - the heavenly view.

The work begun a year ago on the Bible Center is still proceeding - brick upon brick. Each load has to be hauled up by bucket, which has proved to be heavy, slow work. The Lord has allowed the rains to hold off at this point, for which they are thankful.

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Here is the finished gable on the eastern end. As funds allow, they hope to start attaching the metal roofing sheets this week. Because masons cost more money to hire, the final brickwork may have to wait. But the brother is encouraged that God is able to complete His work in His timing. Let us be praying for this ministry, as the famine is pinching the area quite hard right now.

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Yes, we all desire to see accomplishment. Efficiency and progress are naturally inspiring. But does that mean we should be dragged down when things go slow? When all that before you is another brick, another day of unfinished work? I am encouraged to stop looking for progress and embrace God's purpose in the moment. Am I drawing nearer to Him, learning the lessons and receiving the benefits He has lovingly designed? As in the parable - it wasn't the rock that budged, but the man that grew stronger in pushing it.

Ready for Roofing

Brother Lawrence updated this morning that the roof is now ready for the metal sheeting. They have enough on hand to get started - "glory to God."

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As the building is prepared for usefulness, let us be praying for those that will be involved in using it. May the work of God prosper in this barren land.