Love Your Brother...

Here's what a typical Sunday looks like at our church in Barunga:
1. Talk for a little bit and "fellowship".
2. Open in prayer.
3. Sometimes we sing, other times not.
4. Bible Study prepared by a man from Katherine who travels out to Barunga each Sunday.
5. Close in prayer.

It's a typical order of service, and we usually have a couple of women come, Anita and Jocelyn. However, two Sundays ago was different! We just finished having some friends visiting us from Darwin on their way to Townsville, Queensland. We received a call from the man who usually leads the Bible Study part, and he was sick with the flu, so we weren't sure if we would have church or not, but we planned on going over anyway becuase Anita would most definitely be coming. My thoughts were, "Well, it will probably just be us, our friends the Simmonds, and Anita this week." But God had a different plan.

Aside from Anita and our crew, there were 5 other ladies! Since Alan wasn't there to lead the Bible Study part, Cheri and I suggested we read in 1 John, which is the book we've been going through with the Kriol Baibul Study on Mondays. Two of the ladies were from another community about an hour from Barunga. We started reading chapter 4, and when we read through verses 19-21, the discussion started. :)

Within Indigenous culture family is extremely important. Each week when we open with prayer, the ladies pray for their families, and the families of those in the church. When we close with prayer, family is again the main ones prayed for. Since within the kinship system everyone is connected and "related" to one another, there is A LOT of family. Just yesterday I was talking with one of the kids from town and he said his "dedi"(daddy) was sick. I said which one, and he gave me the specific name of the man. He also calls me "dedi", and I call him son.

Therefore, when we reached verses 19-21 of chapter 4, it hit very close to "home" for the ladies, and one in particular.

"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

Within indigenous society, there are very few Christian men. So in our case, these women are the only believers in their families. This can be quite difficult for them at times, specifically if their family doesn't agree with Christianity and are outspoken about it to the ladies. One woman does have a difficult family situation where this is the case. Loving her "brother" is a tough thing.

Please pray with us for these ladies to stand strong in their faith, and to be encouraged during the Monday Baibul Study.

Please also pray with us for more men to come to Christ, and begin to take their leadership positions in the church, as the Lord has intended. Pray that the lives of these women would draw their husbands to Christ.

Please pray indigenous men and women alike would grasp how wide and high and long and deep is the love of God, in Jesus Christ. Often they struggle because they fall, and then don't feel worthy to come to church, or other Christian activities. (Maybe not so different from back home?) The Christian men I have met and talked with are struggling with their sin, and seem to be going through a cycle of sin and shame, sin and shame, sin and shame, then maybe church? But then the shame comes and they feel like hypocrites. Pray for them to understand God's forgiveness, and for them to daily trust the Lord when the temptations come. When opportunities are laid in front of them to sin, pray with us that they would turn and escape from it!

Pray for us in our interactions with them that we would communicate God's love to them, men and women both. They don't need to be condemned for their sin, they already know it's wrong. We simply need to remind them of God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and God's grace freely given to them, new every morning.

Thank you all so much for your prayers for our family and the indigenous people of Northern Australia. I am convinced that without your faithful prayers we would not be seeing as much encouragement, hunger for the Word of God, and desire to apply it to lives. You are fighting this battle with us, and we are SO GRATEFUL! Thank you again, and please continue! It's a privelege to serve with you.