Committed Journeys

Posted on 21st Jul by Anna − Category: Kasubi, Testimonies

One of my roles here with Revelation Life is to lead our discipleship programme in the slums.  I love discipleship.  I love walking with people as they come closer to God, standing alongside them and encouraging them to take steps they would never take without a little push.  I love celebrating with them in moments when they have amazing encounters with God and I love speaking destiny into their lives.   In some strange way I also love struggling with them through life’s big questions, feeling their pain in difficult times and comforting them in their sorrow.

I just love journeying with people – that’s what I believe discipleship is.  It is committing to walk with someone and sharing your life with someone in order that they will walk more closely with their heavenly Father.

For five years before coming to Uganda I committed myself to discipling teenagers in a middle class suburb in the ‘home counties’ of England.  I’m now committed to walking with Mamas in poverty stricken Africa.

I’m asking myself the question “Does the message of faith look the same to a 17 year old in Amersham with their own car, IPad, flat screen TV and private education as it does to a 24 year old in Kinawataka, with a 2×2 metre shack for a home and 4 desperately needy children, who needs to wash clothes for others just to get enough money to feed her children?

The needs are certainly different but the message is the same.  Jesus loves you, he wants to do great things in you if you allow him to and he has great plans for your life.  I’m learning how to communicate this message in a different way than I have ever done before.

Discipleship here amazes me!  In Kasubi slum we have been talking about sharing the goodness of God with others in the community.  During our last discipleship we were asking people to share stories of how they have shared the goodness of God with others.  One of our Mamas said that this week she had been really desperate for money.  She had been in real need but saw a family who had even more need than her.  She wanted to share the goodness of God so she gave out of her lack and blessed this family with food.  She was also praising the goodness of God because the day after, she was offered some temporary work which more than made up for what she had given away.  She then said that she keeps on giving away and is receiving more and more every time that she gives!

I am humbled by this and challenged by it.

Another Mama came to discipleship feeling very sad because she had been through recent bereavements and felt lonely, like everyone was leaving her.  She asked for prayer and since meeting with Jesus, she has had a peace and joy in her heart like never before.  She seems like a completely different person!

It is such an honour to share in the journeys that these people are walking.  I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else doing anything different!

Anna