Strength in weakness...

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There's a place in the Bible (1 Corinthians chapter 2) where the apostle Paul writes a letter to Christians in Corinth and mentions that, the first time he visited them, he was with them in weakness... but that the power of God was evident in that situation, anyway. I've often wondered whether Paul meant that he felt weak when it came to communicating God's truth to them, or whether he meant that he was ill and physically weak at the time.

I've felt physically weak during these first few days in Madagascar. Today I realised that my chest infection was getting worse rather than better, and I'm now on a second, stronger course of antibiotics. I can feel that I have bronchitis now, and although I'm still managing to teach my classes in the PCYM, I'm aware that my breathing isn't too good, and so I'm being careful to rest when we get home from class again.

Despite my weakness, though, I've been encouraged that the students are responding well to the teaching. One of my main goals this week is to equip these Malagasy youth workers to design and develop their own programmes that are custom made for ministry with their own groups of children or teenagers. Today we talked about how different kinds of programmes serve different purposes: some activities are for making contact with people and simply beginning to "sow seeds" of the gospel in their lives. Other programmes are more specifically designed to present Biblical truth and give people an opportunity to commit their lives to Christ. And yet another kind of programme serves a discipleship aim: helping people to grow stronger in their relationship with God and in their obedience to His Word. All three are needed, and a strong ministry or church will have some activities that are for "sowing," others that are for "reaping" and still others that are for "keeping" people going on strongly with God.

This morning, I had the students working in groups of three to analyse their own situations (whether rural villages or city suburbs) and to come up with possible "sowing, reaping and keeping" ministry expressions for their work with young people and families in each of those settings. They did a great job, and presented a variety of different ministry ideas that would work well in their own Madagascar contexts. I'm am so thankful to see God working through these teaching and application times, even though I myself have been feeling rather weak and inadequate this week.

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Meanwhile, back home again at the house where the King's Kids staff live, I'm taking some time to rest in bed this afternoon. (Whenever I lie down to rest, I can hear a noise just like a heavy snorer in a neighbouring room, and I find myself wondering who else is in bed at this time of the afternoon. Then I realise that it's the neighbour's pig, either snoring or snuffling away contentedly in their garden, which is back to back with ours. I can look out my bedroom window and see the little pink fellow enjoying a snack or a nap in their backyard.)

When I'm not lying listening to Pinkie enjoying his lunch or screaming indignantly at the chickens, I'm continuing to do steam inhalations with leaves from the eucalyptus tree, and to drink hot lemon with honey and cinnamon. (Yes, those little round things in the photo above are tiny Malagasy lemons.) While it's true that God shows His strength through and despite our weakness, I'm nonetheless continuing to pray and trust Him for increased healing and strength over the coming days. Thanks for standing with me in prayer, and please feel free to leave a comment here if you have any thoughts or impressions as you pray.