Closing Thoughts–Guest Post by Ben Edfeldt
Klint Ostermann • May 27, 2015
A few closing thoughts:
- We don’t encourage our missionaries enough . This wasn’t said by Klint or Vicki, but it was obvious that they have struggled adjusting to a new culture. This struggle was expected and I’m honestly surprised as to how well they have adjusted there. But there’s a huge adjustment moving – especially across the world – and many of us have a bad habit of being “out of sight, out of mind” people. I am one of those people – Beth is not. If we’re going to be a church that raises and sends out missionaries, our job isn’t done when the right amount of money is raised and the family is put on the plane. We must stay connected with them. Our world is becoming increasingly flat and staying connected should be much easier. For example, we put our phones on airplane mode the whole week and whenever we were in their home we could communicate with anyone who had an iPhone for free (via text and FaceTime). The Ostermanns have slowly connected with a church family in Jinja, but their faith family back in the states needs to do a better job of figuring out ways to encourage them. I know I need to be better at it.
- Along the same lines – praying for missionaries is essential, giving financially to them is vital, but going to see them is incredibly important too. One of the main objections I hear about going is this: “you’re spending $2000+ to go see them, wouldn’t the money be better spent by giving it to them in order to impact Ugandans there?” I actually think it’s a valid question, but it’s also a question people ask in order to avoid an obvious calling. I’ll answer it like this: my parents (and in laws) live a couple days drive away from Beth and me. They have financially blessed us so many times since we’ve been in Wichita Falls. They’re quite generous. But if all they ever did was send us some money or birthday gifts and never came and visited us, I would be extremely disappointed. Their willingness to come spend a week or so with us several times a year communicates to me that they want to be with us. They want to see our family in our “new” environment. They want to see me work in my ministry context. They show just as much (if not more) love to us by coming as they do by sending gifts. It’s not wasted money – it’s money well spent. Beth, Craig, and I didn’t offer anything phenomenal to the Ostermanns, but our presence in their home communicated to them that we value them. That we love them.
- The going is urgent. I have known for a while that the Gospel needs around the worlds are dire. More people need to hear about Jesus than ever before. There are still thousands of people groups that have never heard about Jesus. Revelation tells us that before Jesus returns, all nations will hear. I’ve also read that Uganda is a strategic country in Africa to reach. Islam is growing rapidly all over Africa – especially North Africa. If the predominant religion in Uganda ever goes to Islam, than the gate to the rest of Africa is opened and we’ll see more people choose Islam. Klint tells me that Islam is growing there. He says that they’re building schools and hospitals and telling the Ugandans that if they want their kids to go there, they must convert to Islam. That was very evident in the fact that we saw so many more mosques compared to churches. It was haunting to hear the Muslim call to prayer at various spots in the city. Heart for Uganda has purchased land right next to a village that is predominantly Islam. So, not only will Klint be discipling Ugandans that are Christians on his land, they will have future opportunities to reach a village that has not heard about the Gospel.
- I think a temptation in ministry – abroad and at home – is to focus on the immediate at the expense of the eternal. We worked with several outstanding Non-Government Organizations in Uganda, some have roots of Christian ministry. What we noticed, however, that while their reasoning for being there was a clear God-centered calling, there was very little eternal hope offered as the physical needs were met. Admittedly, it can be a difficult balance as the physical need is overwhelming. We have to figure out ways to make sure meeting physical needs opens doors to opportunities to share eternal good news. I see that as a temptation at the BSM all the time. We want to offer a “product” that is welcoming to all students, but in the offering we sometimes forget that we exist to share the Gospel on our campus and not simply offer a fun place to go to. I’m confident our churches struggle with that too – “let’s offer great children and youth programs, let’s create a worship environment that doesn’t remind us that we’re broken sinners, etc.” Fortunately, I don’t think that Heart for Uganda, Klint or Vicki have forgotten that. They desire to share good news with those they’re serving. But that’s something we can pray for them about. The needs are overwhelming – we totally saw that while we went with Vicki to help remove jiggers – and it’ll be easy for them to put all their effort into meeting those physical needs. May their desire to communicate the eternal hope of Jesus be the reason they meet the overwhelming physical needs around them.
Those are my immediate thoughts as we’re just a few days away from being there. I’m sure that as I process it, there will be more.
That being said, I could not be more proud to be friends with Klint and Vicki Ostermann. I’m so thankful to be a partner with them as they serve in Uganda. If you want to follow them, partner with them, or lead a team there to serve, the best way is to go to their website ( www.heartforuganda.com ). You can donate there, you can click on the Facebook link at the top of the page that will lead you to the FB page that you can follow (the same with Twitter). Klint writes a regular newsletter and regularly updates their Facebook page. It’s a fledgling ministry that is starting to make some impact in Jinja – a ministry focused on bringing glory to the Lord there and here.
By the way – I am reading a great book that really complimented our experience. It’s The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken. Ripken had been a missionary in Africa and I believe is currently serving somewhere in Asia. So far, the book has served as an autobiography of sorts. It’s easy to read, but deals with difficult subjects and Ripken litters the book with great thought provoking ideas about serving, persecution, and missions.
The post Closing Thoughts–Guest Post by Ben Edfeldt appeared first on Heart For Uganda.
Last week, during our West Africa In-Field Mentoring in Senegal, we witnessed God’s transformative power in remarkable ways. I’m excited to share this story with you. In-Field Mentoring involves coaching mentees as they deliver sessions for community training. As mentors, we guide them beforehand, evaluate their presentations, determine if they earn credit for the session, and provide constructive feedback for improvement. Occasionally, a mentee struggles, requiring us to step in to ensure the audience receives accurate information. This happened on the second day during a session titled “Consider Your Ways, for You Are the Temple of God.” This powerful session often leads to repentance and salvation, but the mentee struggled to convey its message. I stepped in to lead the session, and as I spoke, I felt the Holy Spirit moving in the room. In Senegal, where 97% of the population is Muslim, sharing the Gospel openly can be met with resistance, and attendees have left trainings after such presentations. Yet, I felt led to share the Gospel boldly. Praise God, six men raised their hands to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior! We guided them through a prayer of repentance and connected them with a local pastor for discipleship. During the break, a Muslim woman from a closed Northwest African country approached me. She had traveled to Senegal specifically for this training and shared that the Gospel message I presented needed to reach her homeland, where such teachings are unheard. She revealed that for years, she had suffered from a debilitating nerve condition in her leg, impairing her ability to walk. She had been praying for healing for years, yet she found no relief—until the first day of our training, when God miraculously healed her! Overwhelmed, she felt something stir in her heart during the Gospel presentation but didn’t fully understand what was happening in her. She even said she wanted to become a Farming God’s Way trainer. Her country is deeply hostile to Christianity. Apostasy can carry a death sentence, though no known cases of this has occurred in recent years. Converts face severe risks, including family rejection, loss of livelihood, or exile. Extremist groups further endanger those who leave Islam. We provided her with a Bible and connected her with missionaries working in her country. Through Farming God’s Way, someone from a closed nation, who might never have heard the Gospel, encountered God’s love. Additionally, two Peace Corps workers from Hawaii and California attended the training. Afterward, they approached our team with questions about Jesus. Missionaries shared the Gospel with them and gave them Bibles. God is moving mightily through Farming God’s Way, drawing people to Him in unexpected and beautiful ways. Thank you for supporting this work that is transforming lives!
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