First Fruits

Tree of Life Ministries launched in October of 2012 with our first official class graduating in January upon my return. Up until that point, the vision was transforming into a curriculum sharing about health prevention and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many still do not understand the ministry fully, or feel that it is just another para-NGO focused on health training. People have gotten glimpses and slivers of truth about our ministry, yet our purpose is ultimately to make the name of Jesus known among the unreached and to make disciples. Our foundation for this is relationships, just as Jesus modeled to us. Our medium is creative, holistic and truthful on all levels: spiritually, physically and emotionally.

I am happy to be writing today to tell you about a new disciple who I will call “A”. This new disciple emerged from a relationship Pastor Emmanuel (My co-teacher with TOL) has formed over the past weeks. I visited A’s community with Pastor Emmanuel and Mark this week. The area is predominately “M” with a very prominent “M” school in the community. As we walked the long road to A’s house, I must confess that my heart was distracted with other trials happening around me currently. Hope seemed distant and out of reach, yet when we reached A’s house God opened my eyes and turned my focus to a wonderful new work taking place in this small remote community.

Pastor has been discipling A and meeting with him weekly. Now A's friends and the community have asked for the Tree of Life class/Bible teaching in their area. Not only is there a physical need because of lack of safe water and an unclean environment, there is such a need for spiritual Truth. We sat for over an hour reading scriptures about salvation through Jesus Christ and the need of a blood sacrifice to atone the wrath and judgment of God against sin. After we prayer together, A offered a place for us to have the class behind his house. He even made the comment that we could have a church there.

As I walked that dusty road to A’s house, hope seemed out of reach, but after our time of church that Sunday, hope was restored. I realized that this is the first fruits of the work taking place here. All glory goes to God! Please pray for A, his family, neighbors, Pastor Emmanuel and the new class that will be starting in the Bessberry community. God will complete this new work he has begun!