Wanted: World Changers

Eleven years ago while preparing to experience our first mission trip our friend, mentor and Associate Pastor, Alan, shared with me that in missions there are typically three roles PRAY, PARTICIPATE & PAY. For some, they may fit all of those check boxes, while others may only be able to pray. I know in my own life there have certainly been times when all I was able to do for someone was to pray. Today, God reminded me of that conversation as I was also thinking about three influential women in my life. Each of them check one of those ministry role boxes.

The last telephone conversation that I ever had with my Grandma Fazenbaker was about a trip Wayne and I were heading up with our youth group. She asked lots of different questions and sounded so excited that our church kids were going to experience something like that. She was a huge supporter of mission-work, spending time praying and supporting local missionaries in and out of their home church. It’s hard for me to believe that while she encouraged others to go out she also had never experienced a long road trip, or seeing the vastness of the ocean. She would tell you that she didn’t miss out on anything; she had a role to play, and she did it with so much joy and excitement. After she passed my grandfather made sure to support even more missionaries in the name of my grandmother. While I am sad that she won’t be here to see what’s happening, a part of her enthusiasm and love for missions lives on in us. She is my PRAY.

One of the stories I had swirling around in my head was only learned of today in a conversation with my mom! She shared that as a little girl her dream was to be a missionary. This sweet neighbor-lady had entertained groups of neighborhood kids with what Mom remembered as a Bible study of sorts. Those interactions planted a seed within my mom’s heart that she wasn’t sure would ever come to fruition…until her daughter travels across the world to add to her family and stir up longings from childhood to play a role in missions. This is the same woman who stood up when I sank two foul shots in a state basketball game and screamed at the top of her lungs “That’s my baby girl!! Mommy loves you Jennie!” My teenaged self was equal parts mortified and bursting with joy. I share that story to illustrate the support that she has been in encouraging me, making plans to hold down the fort here for us on subsequent trips to Uganda and is all in when I say, “Mom, I need you…” For those and a million other reasons, my mom is my PARTICIPATE.

My Gooky (my mom’s mom) has been a second mother to me in my adulthood. We’re also kinda neighbors, which is an added bonus! She has held my hand through lots of different stages in my life. Cheering me on, giving and doing for us in so many ways. When I shared with her our amazing testimony of providing enough funds to send 9 children to school this current term she celebrated with me and then said, “Next time you call me, too.” Later that week we were all having dinner and I shared that two more families had come to see Gerald about helping with school fees and how he had taken money set aside for his own family and given it away to ensure that two more children would get to school. I shared with my family that his selflessness amazed me. Hours later after dinner she readied herself to head home and quietly whispered to me, “Come see me tomorrow, I want to help.” She didn’t ask for an amount, but when I picked up the check a few days later it was exactly the amount Gerald had left on his own school bill. She prayerfully considered what she wanted to give and unknowingly provided just the amount needed. She is my PAY.

God seriously writes the best stories and the examples that these three women, these world changers, have provided me continue to impact my life profoundly. Their support, enthusiasm and encouragement will also be working to impact lives of children on the other side of the world.

Would you join me in praying for this ministry and what role you could play in changing the world of a family in Uganda?

I shared this on my personal Facebook page a month ago when lots of things were still in the works. I feel like it’s an accurate depiction of our hearts for this ministry. I’m posting here in its entirety and will correct updates in parentheses.

When I stepped on a plane bound for home in 2012 after spending nine really long weeks in Uganda I honestly did not imagine myself willingly heading back. Ever. Just typing that statement makes me feel sad and ashamed. But, if you don’t understand that then the rest of this, in my mind, won’t accurately showcase God’s restoration and redemption for our story. Fast forward five years. Wayne and I start mapping out another African adventure with our entire tribe to take in Charliebug’s first home. On the first full day in Uganda we almost hopped a flight back to Nairobi. That, too, makes me cringe. And, my goodness, I’m so glad that we didn’t. We left Uganda wrecked in the most beautiful way possible. For weeks before our trip I had been praying for God to reveal His purpose in my life, my big “what’s next” and I found it while smack-dab in the middle of the UG. Only God could do that. Divine appointment led us to a man named Gerald and a call/desire to come alongside him in work that he’s been doing in Uganda. We spent the next several weeks home praying, gathering our people around us and making a plan. In “The Fault in Our Stars” John Green perfectly sums up this second trip to Uganda for me when he wrote: “As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” With lots of big feelings, gratitude and God-sized dreams Wayne and I could use your prayers. We are currently in the process of receiving a non-profit status (RECEIVED!! And, even better, what was taking an estimated 3 months took 2 weeks!) for an educational ministry we’ve founded and named Webale Ministries. Webale is the Lugandan word for thank-you and while praying over what we were going to call this thing God has given us management over I kept recalling Psalm 118:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” The average income in Uganda is $2 per day. The average 3 month school term fee for public school is about $45. 3 terms per year makes the average cost of school $135. We are invested in helping Ugandan families with the financial burden of education. We are confident in the team we’ve built and who are also committed to making this happen. Our website will be launched in the coming weeks and we are asking you to prayerfully consider coming alongside us in this venture. (It’s here!!) We are humbled by the support we’ve received so far. A few weeks ago our Webale team and our families circled the wagons and made it possible for 13 students to join their 2nd term of school only a few weeks late rather than not at all. It took under 12 hours for us to learn about the need before we had it covered. Only God could do that. More detail will be forthcoming but I’d love if you’d join us in covering the entire operation in prayer. (We are fully up and running on www.webale.org and are able to take tax-deductible donations!) Specifics include praying for our team, for Gerald and his wife Barbara who’ve been doing this exact thing together already, and for the families whose lives will be impacted by your gifts. Tonight, I’m signing off feeling totally overwhelmed by the goodness of God, hopeful, and excited about what the future holds for this ministry. To God be the glory!

I feel lots of anxious/exciting feelings when I think about everything that Webale is going to be. I’m encouraged by stories like Jalila’s, who was in jeopardy of missing this term of school. This also happened to be her final year of school. Missing a term of school would cause her to become further behind and means repeating her final year the following school year. Situations like this drive students further away from being able to continue their education which means that instead of missing one term, more than likely, the financial stress of adding another year turns into and insurmountable roadblock. Because of prayerful giving she will be able to finish out her year without fear of repeating another school year because of a missed term. Would you pray about how you can help students like Jalila? Any amount of monetary support will be monumental in the success of real students with a desire to attend school. Terms are wrapping up in Uganda in the next few weeks which means new term fees will be needed. Would you join us in eliminating the burden of the cost of tuition for families like Jalila’s? Together we can.