Changing Seasons

There is really no “spring” this close to the equator. Nevertheless, it is plain here that “the times, they are a’changin’,” even though the rains have not yet started. Everywhere, nature – and people – are preparing for the coming of the rainy season. They – the people, at least – are praying, too, because if the rains fail, as they did last year, people will die. At best, even if the rains come soon, there will be a “hungry time” while people wait for their crops to mature.


I saw more evidence of the changing seasons as I ate my breakfast of instant-oatmeal-and-instant-coffee (both made with tepid water). Just after sunup, as I sat quietly by the front of the tukl where Jermaine and Andrew still slept, I watched a progression of birds come to the runoff water around the base of our main water spigot.


Some of the birds were familiar, especially the various iridescent starlings, but several were new this morning. There were several members of the sparrow family, a hornbill (which we have seen around, but which never has come so close to us), and a series of small birds I have never seen before. I got a few pictures, but my camera simply is not up to the job of getting good shots of small, skittish wildlife.


There was a new robin-sized blue bird, a bright-yellow-and-black bird and a small, solid-black-with-brilliant-read-throat bird. I have a picture of the black-and-red one, but it fails to show the intensity of the color.


There seems to be a connection between the arrival of the new birds and the dramatic increase in insect life within the last week. There were already a good many “bugs” here, even as dry as it is. At night, especially, we would see them on the solar-lit Baptist Training Center floor. Some of the scariest are what we call the “motorcycle spiders” (actually, solifugids, or "sun scorpions"), that race erratically around the floor. (In an enclosed space, they will “run laps” around the edge of the walls.) They are about 3½ inches long, and they look really ferocious. There has also been a huge jump in the moth population, apparently coinciding with the pollen production of some of the trees.


It is as though all of nature is preparing for the coming of the rains. Even the people are beginning to till, and perhaps seed, their farm plots – counting on the timely arrival of rain.


There seem to be also anticipatory signs of a spiritual “change of seasons” here. We have watched in awe as God has opened door after door, wider and faster than we could have anticipated. When I arrived, I quickly figured out that my intended AIDS-education-with-the-military simply could not happen, because the team here had not been able to establish the necessary relationships with the military. So one of my early goals was to help “open the doors” for others who would follow me.

It appears that the Lord is continuing to answer our prayers in this and related areas “far more abundantly than we could ask, or even imagine.

The local army commander, Captain (soon-to-be-promoted-to-colonel) T____ T____ and I have quickly become friends. There is something of a language challenge, but we are getting around that. My white beard and graying hair actually count for a lot here, as does my former military rank.


Relations with other community leaders continue to improve.


At the same time, we are seeing the outworkings of resistance in the spiritual realm. The leaders of the traditional indigenous religion are not nearly so pleased to see us here, and we have begun to encounter serious “spiritual warfare” from them. That is not a surprise. We will simply continue to meet the resistance in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.


The rest of the mission team here has previously not had much experience with this kind of spiritual warfare, and it has been my privilege to be teaching them even while they are getting “on-the-job” training. I don’t think I have ever worked with a more completely dedicated group of young adults in my entire life. They are a continuing blessing to me.


This morning, as I was preparing to write, I was reminded of the story [see 1 Samuel 30] from the life of David, before he became King, and he and his men had to chase down some “bad guys” who had pillaged their town in their absence. Along the way, some of David’s men had to be left with the excess baggage at a ford while a smaller force went on to the battle.


When the victorious force returned, some suggested that those who had remained behind should receive no part of the loot, to which David responded: “For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.” [1 Sam. 30:24]


Please know that those of you who “stay with the baggage” and enable people like me to go attack the territory of our spiritual enemy are tremendously necessary and important to us on the battle lines. When you “stay by the baggage” – when you support such ministries as this with your money, and especially with your prayers – you are every bit as important to the Kingdom of God as are we who are privileged to be on the front lines.


Know also that as you support us with money and prayers, you, too, shall have your share of the Lord’s reward. We shall share alike.


Your prayers are especially important to the changing spiritual seasons here. As with the rains, “it is time for the change.” Please do not cease to pray for us, for as St. Paul said: “a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” [1 Cor. 16:9]