"Teacher Rauren!"

July 8, 2014

Village day! Since The Jesus Storybook Bible was such a hit last week at Margaret’s school, we decided to plan a very similar day using the story of David and Goliath. Rebecca drew coloring pages, and we even created a paper Goliath for the kids to throw stones at for an activity.

We showed up at the school and Margaret had some “new hair” and a few extra kids at school today. We only brought coloring pages for the number of students that Margaret has in her class. Nevertheless, I read the story aloud to them with Margaret translating. Rebecca was occupied with a sleeping baby for most of our time there. Once again, they were mesmerized with the story. We passed out the coloring sheets and had them share, the best they could.

As we wrapped up our lesson, we stayed around and talked for a while as we always do. Rebecca was able to share a little more detail and background of the David and Goliath story, sharing how her favorite part of that story is how God had used his role as shepherd and fighting off the lion and bear, to prepare him for this huge task of killing Goliath. Margaret went and pulled out her Bible. I asked what she had been studying and she shared with us Psalm 70 and Psalm 27. She read them to us in Luganda, and I read them from my Bible in English. It was so neat to be able to share with her about how sharing these two particular passages really ministered to us this week.

Margaret’s son Frank (who was there last week because he was home sick from school) was there. Margaret let him skip school since the muzungus were coming today. He offered to “escort” us to meet our group farther into the village. Of course once we arrived, he decided to stay with us (along with the other three kids that joined us along the way). As we were sitting there watching the interns “mud” the house (patching a mud hut with fresh mud), I pulled out The Jesus Storybook Bible  again, and let him read aloud the story of David being chosen as king. It was neat to give him that background and tie it to the story that we studied at school. He was like a little sponge, soaking up every word that I shared with him. At one point, another one of the kids was messing with me, and he told him, “Stop! That belongs my teacher!” My heart was overflowing.

As we were trekking up the narrow dirt trail back to the road, he kept saying, “Teacher Rauren! Teacher Rauren!” As difficult as it was for me, I told him that he needed to go to school next Tuesday. He cannot skip classes just because I am going to be there. Yes, I absolutely want to see him, but Margaret is scraping by to have enough for school fees, and he needs to go. Hopefully he will be home before we leave the village and I will still be able to see him.

One passage that I shared with Margaret today was in Psalm 67:1-3. “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” The reason that God is gracious to us and blesses us is so that we can take the gospel to the nations. I thank God each and every day that I am here in Uganda that the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to be here and serve Him. Don’t miss the opportunities that God gives you each and every day to show His love to everyone around you. I thank God that I got to show that love to Margaret and Frank (and others) today!