Learning With Joy

Dan Kroll and John Holtz have been in Buwembula Village, Uganda at the home of Obadiah Lutheran Synod (OLS) President, Pastor Makisimu Musa for a week of classes. They facilitated learning tasks for 5 straight days, Sunday, 3rd October – 7th October 2021 to a group representing the OLS.  28 people were invited.  One person joined us unexpectedly.  But she was more than welcome:  

Joy. 

Meetings can get long and tiring.  Daresay even boring?  God provided what we needed. Who wouldn’t want a little Joy in a meeting?

Amazingly she attended the entire stretch!   She stuck right along with her mom, Racheal Nambi who is a Lutheran member of Obadiah Lutheran Church.  On the last day of classes John Holtz had just given an opportunity for the participants to evaluate the learning event.  Just at that time, Joy grabbed a paper and pen, found the nearest writing surface (a blue chair in front of the class) and began to draw something.  I don’t know, but did her picture that looked like a rock symbolize that the classes were getting too heavy for her?  Or that she realized that her parents and OLS as a whole was indeed building their lives and homes on Jesus, a rock-solid foundation: immoveable, unbreakable. 

Did we laugh or what? 

I don’t know how she evaluated our classes, but she certainly brought joy to them!  Oh, and help, too.  She was bound and determined every day to chase away all the chickens that were continually entering our tent looking for scurrying insects and dropped food bits in the grass. With Joy around, they didn’t stand a chance.

But after 5 days she had it.  It was enough. The days were long.  The tasks were many.  The chickens were relentless. The body was tired.  Pen in hand, she fell asleep.

I think it’s time for us to do the same.  

Missionary John Holtz lives in Malawi

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