My squad and I are in Botswana!!
Here is an update with what we’ve been doing and what God has been doing too!!
“Since my youth, O God, you have taught me. To this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old & gray, do not forsake me O God, till I declare your power to the NEXT GENERATION, your might to all who are to come!”
Psalm 71:17-18
“We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the NEXT GENERATION the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”
Psalm 78:4
I desire to be used by God to impact future generations. This desire has been rekindled here in Botswana by our ministry – LOVE Botswana Outreach Mission (LBOM) (http://lovebotswana.org/).
If you take a look at the website you’ll see the many ways the Lord is using the ministry here in Maun (a village in the north central/east). LBOM desires to raise up leaders for the next generation to reach the community of Maun, Botswana and the world for Christ. Within LBOM there are two main hubs of ministry: one is the Life Center
and the other is the campus of Okavango International School,
which is where I am living with my team. As my team learned more about LBOM we have been able to jump right into to helping within the ministry.
For me, I have plugged in with the youth ministry. Here are the ways I’ve seen God at work in and through the ministry and me:
- FIRE BY NIGHT – their weekly Friday night youth group meeting (with students leading various aspects) at the Life Center…
Students from the international school (on the LBOM campus) and the surrounding public schools attend this event. These students gather for worship, teaching and prayer. I have been able to on several occasions befriend these teens and listen to students about their lives and struggles, pray with them, and spur them on in their relationship with Christ.
One such student is Paul (name changed). See near the end of the service there was a time for students to come forward who wanted to give their lives to the Lord or rededicate their lives. Paul came forward last Friday after an awesome message was shared by one my teammates Michael Sullivan. He challenged students to repent and get serious about living their faith out each day, not just on Friday night’s or Sunday mornings. Michael asked our team to come up and be available if students wanted prayer or someone to talk to. Paul came to me wanting to rededicate his life…I asked him if he knew Jesus, to which he said yes, but that he struggled with living daily for Him. I asked Paul if he had a Bible and he said no his friend lost it. So I told Paul I’d work on getting him a Bible so he could read it each day and hear from God. I also commended his boldness in coming forward for prayer and told him I sensed God was going to use him to be a leader in getting his friends together for a Bible study in his house (he boards at the school here) and to pray about that. I saw Paul Sunday at church and he said he read Psalm 1 over the weekend and prayed with his friends too! I gave him a Bible and he was thankful to have it to read on his own! Continue to pray for Paul as he begins to hear and seek His creator and maker!
- REACH 4 LIFE outreach program – in this program, a LBOM staff/intern have the opportunity to go into the classroom weekly and teach students life skills/character building lessons. They go into both the international school here on the LBOM grounds and the public schools in Maun.
I have been able to teach a lesson to 14-15 year olds (form 2 grade level here)…they enjoyed the problem-solving team building activity and discussion about how to solve life problems.
Reach 4 Life also facilitates Bible studies in the evenings on the campus of the international school. I was also able to co-lead a Bible study session in the evening for teenage girls. WOW!! What an opportunity this was! They were so honest and open to our discussion on abstinence and what the world vs. the Word says about sex & marriage.
Praying for the girls….
This upcoming week I will have more opportunity to teach and interact with students in this way. I have SO enjoyed being back in the classroom and walking around the campus getting to know the students who also attend the FIRE BY NIGHT and church service too!
- Friday morning CHAPEL at Okavango International School
Each Friday morning the secondary students gather in the morning for chapel. Here the LBOM youth staff coordinates the chapel time with worship songs, a student led message on faith/character building and then there is a devotional followed by announcements. I SO enjoy seeing students lead and come together at school for the sake of Christ. Not every student at the school here is a Christian but they are definitely exposed to His love and purpose for their lives!
Oh what a great time we’ve had so far!!!! I’m so grateful to God for how He is using Love Botswana Outreach Missions to reach the next generation for Christ. My team and I have about a week and a half left here and I’m excited for what God has in store!
May you too be inspired to see the importance and opportunity out there to IMPACT the next generation for Christ! May our hearts be open to His will for our lives and the sphere of influence God has given us to be lights for Him!
I’ll encourage you to look up and meditate on Matthew 5:14-16!!!
For Christ!
Lauren
><>
