This summer a TIMO (Training in Ministry Outreach) team will begin ministry among the unreached Ik people of Uganda. Here, a few of the team members have shared about themselves and their thoughts as they prepare to go and serve.
Virginia West
I am an elementary school teacher in Westminster, Maryland (USA) currently teaching English Language Arts. As a teacher, I have had the opportunity to serve the Lord through short term international mission trips during summer vacations. In 2010, I served for one month in Uganda alongside Africa Inland Mission. It seemed God had transformed my heart during my time in Uganda, and I came back to the United States knowing that one day the Lord would have me return to Africa.
Over the last several years, never once, did I imagine that I would be part of an outreach team living and serving among an unreached people group in the remote mountains of east Africa. Yet when we press forward in faith, it is then that we experience God for who he is. A great and awesome God, who desires for his created to know the depth of his love, and the magnitude of his everlasting grace through Jesus, the light of the world.
Sarah Moquist
I am a nurse from Fargo, North Dakota and am currently working in an outpatient chemotherapy centre. I grew up on a potato farm in rural North Dakota. Words can’t even begin to describe how excited I am for our team and the opportunity we have to reach the Ik people. I wish I could say, lets go now! But God is using this time to prepare my heart and grow me so that I am able to minister for the Ik people and for that I am thankful!
Luke & Lucy Profitt
Currently we are living in a relatively rural area in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Luke is working as a doctor at Mseleni hospital and I am looking after our son Nathanael (Nate for short), who is nearly one years old.Luke and I both grew up in homes with parents who love the Lord and we chose to follow him ourselves from an early age. Since we were quite young, we have been excited about the idea of going to tell people about Jesus who have never heard of him.
We are a part of a small Zulu church and a small English community of believers here. It is going to be hard to leave, but our brothers and sisters in Christ here are also encouraging us and praying for us and the Ik. They are enthusiastic about the opportunity we have to go and live among the Ik and share the gospel with them.
We are both excited and a bit nervous about going to live among the Ik. It feels like there are a lot of unknowns and we are not sure how easily we will cope with all the things we will need to adapt to and learn. But we know God will be with us. We are looking forward to getting to know God better as we go on this journey with him. We are learning more about what it means to trust God as we wait on him for people to partner with us financially.
We are also looking forward to getting to know the Ik people personally and them becoming a part of our lives. We look forward to being able to share with them the hope we have in Christ and how much he loves us.