Amid Many Unknowns, What We Think We Know

6AM Bible Study with Ukraine Staff

2 Kings 4: 3-6: ‘Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few. 4 Then go in, and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.’ 5 So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another vessel.’ But he said to her, ‘There are no more.’ Then the oil stopped flowing. 

Dear Friends, 
In this challenging season for all of us, I have found myself turning to this story. In just a very few verses we see a picture of a desperate woman, the widow of a faithful prophet who died leaving young children in danger of exploitation, and we see the hope and rescue of Jehovah her provider. Elisha doesn't DO anything for her, but instead has her rally her neighbors to provide empty vessels on loan to her. Her faithful action activates the outpouring abundance of God. The size of her miracle is equal to the faith that she had that not just a few vessels would be needed.

Asking for help doesn't come easily to me. I am most comfortable mentioning for prayer the needs of others: my children's concerns, my wife's, or others I know who are in need. I rarely feel, deep down, desperate, and so though I pray I don't desperately ask others to intercede on my behalf very often. I confess that though I love this picture of faith, I don't easily identify with the desperate and faithful widow. Hence I often miss out on the miracle of the outpouring of God's power.
It might be possible to say that the coronavirus pandemic has brought the situation of this widow to the masses. So many people struggle with the economic consequences and the health risks of this pandemic, far more than my wife and I do, and we are joining in prayer for many of these concerns. But we too have needs we cannot meet apart from God's provision which are more direct because of the pandemic. I have given notice at my work with my last day being the end of May, and so by July 1st our missionary income will be our only income source. It is also possible, indeed we pray for this, that our home is rented out by early or mid-June. But in that case our own housing is uncertain. It is possible that we'll need to be teaching classes in Malaysia by Zoom starting at 4AM California time. We don't know when we'll be able to get to Malaysia and it is out of our hands. For the sake of our ministry, we'd like to be in Malaysia by the fourth week of June, but as of now flights to Malaysia, as with most places, are shut down. These flights will open at some point. But please pray for me, for my ability to be flexible in hope, and for provision for the dislocation during the journey from what is to what we hope will be. And please join me in prayer for a safe and prudent re-opening of the global economy.

The Shape of Things To Come?
For several months I have been doing weekly 6AM Bible studies with Svitosar and Jane, using my Sketches of Leadership curriculum. They are faithful leaders in their student fellowship, and very responsive to the Word, acting on the things we study as they live out their ministry on campus. 
But then, with the coronavirus quarantine, Zoom calls became more commonplace, and the IFES staff asked about doing similar Bible studies. So now I have 6AM Bible studies like the one pictured above three times/week, two with groups of 6-8 staff and one still with Jane and Svitosar.

Meanwhile, Lisa has been staring into the same grid of video feeds for her 10 person preaching classes at Fuller, hearing student sermons through the same interface. The 3x3 or 4x4 grid has become a very familiar geometry lately, and probably to many reading this email for the same reasons. Church small groups, church worship gatherings--we are more used that we might wish to be to looking out on this grid of familiar faces, able to hug only with our eyes, our expressions, or words.

So when we last spoke to Dr. Siew Pik Lim, the dean of the Alpha Omega College where we are on the schedule to teach one course each during the month of July, she said the class has not been cancelled but is likely to be taught on line. Which of course means that even if we reach Malaysia before the class, we will have an experience much like the ones we have been having in the teaching settings we are already in--just more so! Of course, our very strong preference will be to have made it to Malaysia before the beginning of the class in early July, in no small part because to teach from So Cal means to teach the class starting at 4AM  Mondays through Thursdays. Even for me, an early riser, that would require some adjustment!

Prayer Request Updates: We mentioned two requests last month and have one happy update: a home for our dear dog Luna has been found, with a family who have been friends since the couple's student days at Harvard 30 years ago. They live nearby and we no doubt would hope to see them and our beloved Luna on visits back to the LA area.

Second, while we postponed putting our home on the rental market for a month, we still are hoping to find renters, as early as June 1st though perhaps more likely July 1st. A couple with grade school kids, as we were 20 years ago, would be perfect for this home, with an excellent public school right across the street. Please continue to pray for the right renters to emerge, for whom our home will be just right. 

Fundraising Update: Thank you for joining with us as many of you have to help us toward our goal. Currently we have about 80% of our budget raised. If you desire to make your gift, or set up recurring gifts, please do so at our Paraclete page. If you are new to our list and would like to read more about our plans and our story, please check out our blog. Thanks so much!

In Jesus,
Rich and Lisa