God Bless The Rains

Good afternoon from Africa--It's just after 2pm here in Uganda!

Our dear friend Orone David came for a morning visit after our late breakfast and warned us that it looked like rain. As we did our morning group prayers, it began to thunder and the room got darker and darker . . .

Soon, it began to POUR rain on the TCON house in Soroti. I tried to convince the others to dance in the rain, until we ran outside on the porch and realized the rain was freezing cold. We all stood on the porch in awe as the yard quickly flooded and the unrelenting rain came down in sheets.

The meaning of the rain is not lost on any of us. It's a reminder of all the faithful prayers of our River family for rain in Kapelebyong (which is in the Amuria region, just 38 km north of here.) This region suffered two whole years of drought, meaning no crops grew, meaning no food was available if you didn't have money to buy it, meaning many (too many) died of starvation. This starvation was the reason Pastor Wil chose Kapelebyong for The River to adopt--the week before his first visit, 6 people had died.

We have been faithfully praying for rain for the past 6 months, as the rainy season began in March, we all waited to see what would happen. When Joseph emailed Wil to tell him rain was falling in Kapelebyong, Wil checked the radar over Uganda and there was one large swirling rain cloud that was scheduled to hover directly over Kapelebyong for days on end. David just this morning told us Kapelebyong has gotten the "adequate" amount of rain, not too little, not too much . . . Perfect rain.

How many times did I sob when it rained in Kalamazoo this year? Especially when we got word of the constant rain in Kapelebyong . . . One day as it stormed when I was in Walmart, I stopped in the middle of the kitchen supply aisle and cried and praised God as I imagined the life-giving rain in my precious village.

And now, I'm IN Uganda, just miles away from Kapelebyong, as the rain pours down, and I'm fighting the tears again. What a gift, what a marvelous God that has heard our prayers and been faithful to His children in Kalamazoo AND Kapelebyong. What a blessing for us to witness His gift of rain on our second day in Africa!!

The rain IS a blessing, not just for the people in Uganda, but also on us as God's children here to do His work. The bible makes references to God's blessings pouring down like rain, and we as a team have claimed two verses, ever since January when it "randomly" rained on the day we were commissioned at church.

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to BLESS ALL THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. Deuteronomy 28:12

Yet [God] has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.. Acts 14:17

I also found another verse this morning that fills my heart with joy and comfort when I think of the abundant rains in Kapelebyong.

Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit. Joel 2:23-29

What amazing promises for ALL of us as God's people.!!!!!!!!! Take a minute today and thank God for His faithfulness, love, provision, Spirit, promises, grace, mercy . . . For ALL He is!! He is the SAME yesterday, today, and forever. He loves each of us with the same passion with which He loves His children in Kapelebyong.

I will end now, as my heart is seemingly about to burst and I need to go spend some time with God.

Thanks for your continued prayers--we can feel them covering us and protecting us and are so thankful for each of our prayer warriors at home.

Much love to you all!!

Jaynie Fawley

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