Almost one year ago now, we felt the Lord begin speaking to
us about our future here in Karamoja. We have often wondered just how long we
might be here, hoping to see God work quickly so that our role is no longer
needed but recognizing that things – and more importantly people’s hearts –
move very slowly here in Karamoja. And so we have wondered, “Lord, will You
move like a rushing wind that transforms in an instant or like a great river
that transforms over generations?”
We still do not know what exactly God has in mind long-term,
but we do know that for now He has told us to settle down and put down deeper
roots in our community. Jeremiah 29:4-7 has guided our vision of what is means
for us to put down roots:
“This is what the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to
Babylon: ‘Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they
produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give
your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters.
Increase in number there; do no decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity
of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it,
because if it prospers, you too will prosper.’“
In light of this scripture, we have been on the hunt for
land that we can buy and on which we can build our house, as well as plant
gardens and keep animals, and have room to host guests. God has been giving us
a vision of establishing a sustainable community of missionaries who work to
support themselves, live off the land, and practice corporate rhythms of worship,
study of the Word, and prayer. We desire for our home to be a center of
hospitality to the community around while we continue to seek Kingdom
transformation in the hearts and lives of our neighbors and friends.
Over the last few months, God has provided contacts and
resources for us to learn how best we can physically care for the land He will
give us. We are pursuing a permaculture design (for more information on
permaculture, visit www.permaculture.org) that will allow us to bring
restoration and healing to the dry, often barren landscape of Kotido. We are
excited for our future land to be a physical picture of the spiritual promises of
restoration and transformation the Lord has given us for Karamoja (Isaiah 35,
44:3-5).
Land we are trying to buy a few miles outside of Kotido.