Since Jesus taught, so must I

I've always said teaching was not something I want to do, nor had the skills to do. Yet God has His own ways for sending his servants down the path He has chosen. He is constantly “setting my pathways straight" (Psalms 3:5-6) as I attempt to acknowledge Him in all that I do. He sent me to teach at Project Mercy nine years ago – allegedly for three or four months. Almost exactly on the ninth anniversary of first coming to Ethiopia, I found myself – the “no way I'm a teacher" guy – teaching three vastly different programs over three days in three different locales – first a library reading program to elementary students, then preaching to pastors and evangelists about the spiritual discipline of service, and later teaching the new church leadership team.

The first group was the children, who brought great joy, as they always do. These children have no books in their homes and no library at the school. At least four students share one ragged textbook. So, on Friday, when I pulled out a hardcover children's pictorial dictionary and started to share, they went wild as we formed sentences and wrote them down. May God please bless these children with the best children's library in town (and probably the only one of any consequence).

The adults I taught later were experienced Christians, and were almost as fun as the children. And even while I may now prefer “fun children," I see God's hands all over me in directing my steps towards this kind of adult ministry. Springing out of my recent Masters in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University received in December, I am passionate about teaching the spiritual disciplines and strengthening the Body through writing and teaching. The evangelists, who work for almost no financial reward, seemed particularly in tune with our message of Service. May God be forever praised!