“The Lord is my Shepherd”

Many times, we quote the 23^rd psalm when we have received blessings. So many good things have happened that they have reached the brim of our needs. Today, though my prayer is to reach out to God and pray “help me to see your provision today”. The truth is that today I feel tired and empty. So, maybe it is time to count my blessings.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want”.

This past August, I flew to Cuba with my colleague Tim Long to begin the residency week for Cuba. It was such a blessing to begin this week in Cuba with twenty new students, ten men and ten women. Cuban pastors have many needs, the average salary for a   pastor is $25 dollars a month. This group struggles with power outages, limited access to WIFI and so many limitations. Yet their spirit during our residency week was one of resilience and joy.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want”.

We then flew on to Nicaragua to meet with our cohort there. Each of the students was dealing with their own challenges in their lives. I learned later that week that many live in fear that their churches might lose their status as religious organizations which would limit their ability to meet as a religious group according to Nicaraguan law. That Friday, we celebrated the graduation of the first cohort. The theme of the graduation was “We live in hope” (Tenemos Esperanza).

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want”.

My next stop was in Puerto Rico to attend a mission symposium. Four hundred people met at Iglesia Bautista de Yauco with a contagious enthusiasm for mission. The theme for the meeting was “We are the Light of the World”. It is ironic as the Puerto Rican people are also struggling with power outages, yet these limitations have not dampened their Spirit for mission.

How is our Spirit for mission? Do we live in hope?

I always ask for prayers but today I am asking for prayers with wings. The ministry to empower others through theological education is not mine alone. It is a shared ministry. Will you commit to GIVE monthly to maintain this global servant in the field. Will you commit to GIVE to our scholarship fund so that our students from Nicaragua and Cuba can study.

Please pray and give until your cup overflows.