Physical War
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:6-8
The number of international conflicts are increasing and the Orality Institute is stepping into the middle of the battle. This week we are sending two teams into war zones. Both trips are planned carefully, and they also need serious prayer covering.
On Thursday, June 26th, a team of nine will fly from the United States to Poland so that they can drive down to Lviv, Ukraine. Lviv is in the far western side of Ukraine where the war has had less effect. The team will be leading a camp that is organized and run by Missionary Tomasz and Miriam Chmiel. Oral teaching will be the core of the camp so that the lessons and the scripture can be shared with others when they return. The hope of scripture is desperately needed in Ukraine because their war with Russia has affected nearly every family. Please pray for safety, for the power of God’s Word to bring hope, and for Orality Institute finances to cover the expenses for several going on the trip. They will return on July 7th.
On June 30th, two from Uganda will be traveling to Burundi. Burundi has been in the middle of the war between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This war has not had much visibility in the US, but the number of casualties has been over 7000 and 5 million people have been displaced. We have been requested to bring training to Burundi, and they have already translated three books of the curriculum. Our prayer is that the 20 students will start classes which will continue to train others as they begin going through the entire two-year curriculum. Please pray for these trainings as well as our trip to Pakistan in September. The world desperately needs the hope of Jesus.
Spiritual War
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:11-12
We have little control over the battles around us, but everyone of us fights an internal battle that we must win. It is the battle with between our flesh and the spirit of God. It is a struggle that we face every day. The oral strategy of instruction is an effective tool for fighting the internal spiritual battle because learning the Word of God and applying it to our lives works from the inside out. Wherever the training has been held, there are testimonies of change.
The prison chaplains in Malawi brought the Orality Institute training into their prisons. These prisons are a place where the physical and the spiritual war meet. The prisons are difficult places because they only have one meal a day and the temperature is very hot. Yet in the midst of the physical challenges that the prisoners face, the oral classes are transforming lives. Several prisoners described themselves as very bad men. They had stolen, killed and many were cut off from their families. Pofera said that before he came to prison, he didn’t have any faith. For him the story of Joseph being in prison caused him to believe in Jesus. Samson thought everything was bad, even himself. He learned that God has something special for him and that God is with him in prison. Vinious said that God used prison to call him to faith in Jesus. Timanja didn’t know anything about the Bible or love, but God had changed him. The Lord is winning these battles for the prisoners in Malawi, and He can defeat the battles we face as well.
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