We have been working on memorizing Bible verses as a family. It is so much fun to see our kids’ brains absorbing Scripture verses so quickly. Here is a list of the verses we are going to be working through, but we are always on the lookout for new ideas. Do you have any suggestions?
Lord’s Prayer
Great Commandment
Fruit of the Spirit
Psalm 23
1 Corinthians 13 (love chapter)
John 3:16
Proverbs 3:5-6
1 Samuel 12:24
1 Corinthians 16:13
Isaiah 26:3
Ephesians 4:32
Having spent the last year living among Mozambicans whose income level is far below the levels and averages in the West, I have been pondering how best to go about giving to the poor. Literally I could walk out my front gate at this very moment and hand out money to people standing there waiting for a bus and I would be giving to “the poor”. The average income in my neighborhood is below the poverty line set by the United Nations and well below how we use the term “poor” in the United States. The Scriptures are very clear on the obligations of those of us who follow Christ to help the poor, so as you can imagine, having poverty in my face every day, I am interested in what I am supposed to do about it. (see Deuteronomy 15:11, Galatians 2:10 for a nice starting place on our biblical obligations to help the poor)
How did the church in Acts help the poor?
In the very early history of the church, seen in the earliest chapters of Acts, there seems to be a common pot of money from which the believers share. That is why Luke is able to say that there were no needy persons among them, because they were all pooling their money. People laid their money at the disciples’ feet and it was distributed as people needed it. However, that system doesn’t last very long, as the church expanded outside of Jerusalem.
There are several references in Acts to almsgiving/benevolence which is just an old fashioned way of saying: giving directly to the poor. Tabitha and Cornelius were known for their benevolence to the poor (Acts 9 & 10). However, what is not clear is exactly how this money was given to the poor. Clearly, there were beggars in the days of the early church (Acts 3), but I don’t see any reference of whether or how Christians should give money to beggars. Peter and John had the chance to give to a beggar in Acts 3, but they claimed not have any money, and instead just healed the man who was begging. (I would love to follow this model, but I’m not ready yet)
Then I came across this verse towards the end of the book: “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.” Acts 24:17
This passage is from Paul’s trial. What we translate as “bring my people gifts the poor” is the verb for almsgiving/benevolence giving. On first glance, that may seem like Paul is talking about handing money out to beggars. However, these gifts for the poor were not monies set aside to be handed out to beggars, but money that was collected in churches throughout the Gentile world to help the poor at the church in Jerusalem.
What I find interesting is that Paul uses the term “almsgiving” for this action. In his mind, pooling money from other churches for the distribution at the Jerusalem church is almsgiving.
How our family chooses to give to the poor
So following this model, our family thinks the best way to give to the poor is through the local church. We regularly give a portion of our salary to some of the churches we work with, and those churches distribute the money to people in our community who are in the most need. This money isn’t for the regular operations of the church, but specifically to help those in need. But because we give through our church we have never given money to those who beg.
If your church has a special fund for helping those in your community who are in need, you should contribute to it. However, I would also encourage you to look into supporting organizations that work with the poor outside of the United States as well. My very favorite organization that specializes in poverty relief and works exclusively through local churches is Compassion International. Sponsoring a child through Compassion is the easiest and I’m convinced, one of the most effective ways of giving directly to the poor around the world through a local church.
When you are on the mission field, everyone always says, “I’m praying for you.” Monday morning was one of the days that I KNEW there were people praying for me. I was on my way home from dropping the kids off at school and was waiting at a stoplight behind a very large bus. I remember thinking to myself that the bus was one of the biggest buses I had seen around and it had SO MUCH stuff tied to the top of it, I hoped it would all make it. As the light turned green, a voice told me not to go but let the bus go on ahead and I should go very slowly. I looked at the top of the bus and saw it was really close to the electric wires, no, it was touching the electric wires! The bus was moving along and taking the wires with it, I thought that maybe all the stuff on the top was going to come flying backwards and land on me or the road in front of me but instead, the bus kept moving, taking the wires with it…out of the corners of my eyes, I saw the three poles the wires were attached to start to lean towards the bus and then they were ripped out of the ground and the bus was dragging the poles and live wires behind it. At this point, I was not moving at all but honking the horn, along with everyone else around trying to get the bus to stop moving. It finally stopped and there were sparks and wires everywhere!! It was quiet for just a moment and then I heard this terrible wailing. A woman had been hit, knocked to the ground and had a hole in her foot where the electricity had exited her body. People were rushing towards her, bandaging her foot because it was bleeding ALOT!!!
There were already police at the intersection because it was “rush hour” but they were just walking around not knowing what to do. I realized two things at that moment; One: I am alone and am still limited on my Portuguese and Two: I need to move my car and show people there is a way to get out. So, I drove over the middle median, did a u-turn and waited because the police started coming over to my car. Oops!, I thought. But no, they smiled, gave me a thumbs up and waved because they realized this was the way to clear traffic so help could get through.
I drove off pretty shaken up but also grateful that there are people in prayer around the world. Had I gone through the light like I normally do…
I have driven through the light several times the past few days and each time I find myself praying for the safety of those traveling the road. Interestingly, the poles and wires got replaced…with the old poles and wires and the wires are hanging just as low as on Monday. TIA: “This is Africa” 
I had the privilege of going to the Opening Ceremonies of the All-Africa Games earlier this month. A friend gave me some tickets, and I was able to take some of the guys who live with us at our new house. (The All-Africa Games are a lot like the Olympics, except only African countries are invited)
Because traffic getting to the stadium was horrific, we arrived after the ceremony had started and teams were already coming onto the field. We happened to have seats just a couple of rows back from the field, right next to the tunnel where the players came out.
Each team had someone solemnly carrying a sign with the name of their country in front of them. As I watched, the person carrying the Libyan sign walked where their team should have been. I thought the Libyan team either didn’t make it, or couldn’t make it, but the committee had chosen to let them keep their place as a sign of solidarity.
But just as I finished thinking those thoughts, shooting out the tunnel come the Libyans carrying their new “rebel” flag and dancing and singing and running to the queue. When they reached the queue they realized they were already supposed to be walking onto the field and so they ran, dancing and shouting, to catch up.
I can only describe the moment as pure joy when the stadium realized that Team Libya was there, and that they were carrying and wearing their new flag. I think the whole stadium wanted to run down on the field and dance and sing with these young men who showed just how sweet freedom can be. They just sang over and over: Libya is free! Libya is free! Libya is free!
It was one of those moments I will never forget.
Before I left America everyone was asking what I was going to do in Africa. I talked about starting businesses. I talked about meeting with leaders. I even mentioned a small project to combat human trafficking I was working on. But when people asked if I was planning on teaching, my answer was always a resounding “no”.
Well, I was wrong.
I appreciate the way so many of you held your tongues and tried to keep from looking too smug as you told me that I would eventually teach again. I suppose I was really tired of teaching and needed a break, but that break is officially over.
I love to teach. I am a teacher. I now realize this better than I did before. Like a musician wakes up in the morning with a melody in their head, or an artist wakes with painting/photo/sculpture, I wake up every morning and dream late at night about ways to make the Scriptures understood to people. It is just what I do. It is the melody playing in the background of my life. It’s been quietly playing there for the last 2 years while I didn’t have a formal teaching role. I tried to ignore it, but I can’t anymore.
I started teaching at a small leadership formation school here in Mozambique to a class of 9 young men and women. It is amazing. Even in my broken Portuguese, they are soaking up what I’m teaching.
So alongside of businesses I am starting with young leaders, relationships I am forming with pastors, and a little anti-human trafficking project I play a small part in, I now teach. You see, I am a teacher. I teach, therefore I am.
Here is Abigail explaining what it means to be a missionary for a friend’s VBS. Enjoy!
Here is a video I made of the riots which too place 2 weeks after we arrived in Mozambique.
