Partnership, Collaboration, Friendship all Boils Down to Relationship on the Journey
One cannot emphasize enough the value of relationships as we daily deal with the harvest. This past week I had the chance to see again a great friend who is the leader of The Evangelical Alliance in South Africa, Moss Nthla. We had a great meeting with others alike, sharing together what kind of difference we can still make in this gorgeous country.
Moss has been a friend of OC, a great encourager, and counselor. I cannot tell you enough how crucial his friendship is for all of us and how thought-provoking are his comments during our sharing time. How much we need and appreciate harvest workers like him in our trajectory in South Africa.
Then, we had the visit of our long beloved friend, Craig Kraft. With his family, he lived in South Africa for 3 years and then returned to Canada to lead OC Canada. Craig is this soft-spoken person with an amazing heart and vision towards the harvest, the Church. He directs our “OC Global Alliance” – the alliance of several different OC fields that bundle together to collaborate on several fronts by visiting every field, dialoguing with every board, encouraging the leadership, and seeing ways that collaboration really happens.
Many times, the Lord has used Craig to encourage my life and ministry, from a distance (just 8,600 miles away). Talk about “a brother!” Together with his wife, Heather, and their boys (plus their wives), they make quite a team!
And, I am still thinking about my trip to Sao Tomé in June. There I met a phenomenal couple who are making a difference with Business as Mission.
Their dream? To instill Christian ethics as they train some bright young man from that country to start his own business. The training? Done through a small combined business of eggs and agriculture.
In the last three years, he and Marcelle, his wife, have dedicated their gifts and talents to bringing transformation in business life and the training of new entrepreneurs in Sao Tomé, as a new way of communicating the Good News of The Kingdom.
As you think of us, please pray for our friends who are laboring around the world, interjecting with our story in order for more disciples of The Lord of The Harvest to be made, and local churches to be multiplied. In that way, His presence is seen in exponential ways in every neighborhood of every country of our beautiful continent.
Yes, it boils down to relationships! And you, yes, are part of this “beautiful mystery.” I am thankful for your friendship and companionship on this journey. You have no idea how much!
Barbosa & Sinara