Those Before Us

“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

Since arriving to Bundi, I can’t help but think of those that have gone before us.  Years and years of challenges faced in a harsh environment by others have allowed us to transition well here, both physically and relationally.  I couldn’t imagine moving here without a house and having to start from scratch.  Building a house.  Bringing a water system.  Establishing a school.  Planting a church.  Starting a health clinic.  When I think about the pioneers of WHM Bundi, I praise God for their work, dedication (through frustration), and vision.  Beyond the physical, we see the fruits of their past ministry left and right.  We have been so encouraged by the believers we have come to know in this short week.  It’s not perfect here in any way, but the fruits of their labor live and breathe in this place, and that’s something to thank Him for.  The people of Bundi have made us feel so welcome.  Our presence here means many different things to them, I think.  It means a new supply of jobs as well as new believers to share community life with.

I attended Christ School Bundibugyo’s (CSB) three-day teacher orientation last week where Travis (our team leader, a doctor at the clinic, and chairman of the board of CSB) welcomed the teachers back to a new school year and challenged them with Scripture and rules from the teacher handbook.  I finally met Isingoma Edward, CSB’s head master.  Talk about a jovial guy.  Edward loves to laugh and came to know the Lord as a result of WHM’s work here over the years.  He’s returned to Bundi for his second year at CSB and seems very excited to have me here to support him and the teachers.  My new job title (which has been quite fluid over the past few months) is “Coordinator of Educational Development.”  Simply put, this is a blanket term that allows me to support the school in many different facets.  All of the teachers seem genuinely happy to welcome me in to their CSB family.  Honestly, I feel very inadequate for this job.  In some ways, I feel expected (by the locals) to be a super hero at CSB.  This is why I cling to the verses above.  Yes, many people have gone before me at the school that have done wonderful things.  They’ve also made a lot of mistakes or made wise decisions that weren’t popular at the time.  What I have to cling to is the truth that it’s not me, but God that gives the growth.  Please pray for me as I figure out my role at CSB and how I can best be used for the benefit of the school and for God’s glory.  I long to plant and water, but I have to be reminded that God doesn’t need Michael Stevens here.  If I begin to believe the lie that I’m needed by God, then I have failed.

Students of CSB have begun reporting to school today for the new school year.  It’s a boarding school, so they are moving back into the dorms.  Tomorrow morning is the first student assembly, and tomorrow night Lesley and I will be attending as staff fellowship with the teachers of CSB.  Pray that God would begin to create intimate connections among us and the teachers.  Lesley is thrilled at the prospect of being able to work at Christ School Farms with the agriculture teacher (Alex) and students at CSB.  She’s hoping to support their efforts to provide income for the school through the farms as well as bring more variety to the meals of CSB students and staff.  Pray that she would connect well with Alex and that God would produce effective ideas that they could collaboratively bring to reality.

Many people have been coming by to welcome us and introduce themselves.  Word gets around pretty quickly that new folks have moved into town.  Some of them simply want to say, “You are most welcome,” while others bring their applications to apply for jobs at our home.  Our most valuable visit so far has been with three young men (Ivan, John, and Kadima) who came by for a few hours on Saturday.  They all have a strong relationship with the Myhres (who built and lived in our current house for 17 years) and wanted to know who these new people are.  It almost felt like they were interviewing us to make sure we met their standard for being worthy to live at this house that they practically grew up in.  It was such a testament to how the Myhres valued these boys (now young men) and how the boys felt so loved by them.  We shared stories over some roasted nuts and water and had a few good laughs.  Ivan is still a student at CSB, while the others graduated last year.  I get the impression that Ivan has big plans for me and Lesley at CSB, which makes us smile.  We ended our time together by having them walk us around the compound to teach us about the trees and other plants.  We had our first cocoa beans with them, which was a tasty treat.

There are so many details that we’d love to share but just don’t have the time to type them all out.  We hope that you receive encouragement from the few that we highlighted and also know how to pray for us.  Feel free to email or FB us with any questions about our first week.  We’ll do our best to reply.

In Him,

Michael