Change Grows Faith

When unwelcome change is knocking down the door, how do you respond? Do you resolve to do whatever it takes to have your way? Do you give up? Do you deny and pretend nothing is happening? Do you pray and wait for God to accomplish what you want? Or, do you trust God’s sovereignty and find contentment in your circumstance, seeking His perfect will in everything?

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Jesus gives us the peace and strength to accomplish His purpose, even when that purpose may be obscure or confusing to us at the time. We want what we want when we want it but often God knows better and intervenes.

At The Rock, God is taking us to school in trusting Him at a whole new level. Our university scholarship program in Uganda to develop leaders, disciples and role models is in financial jeopardy. It appears we may have to make a tough choice by May 1 between exhausting our scholarship fund to pay for one more semester or have the students take a break from school and help us launch a dairy program at the university. This cooperative dairy arrangement with Uganda Christian University which has been in the works for a year has the potential of producing income to fund the balance of the students’ educations as well as future scholarships.

If we spend available funds just on tuition for next semester, current giving trends suggest we might have no further funds for them after that anyway and The Rock would have to suspend the scholarship program indefinitely. If we purchase the dairy cows, we could leave a legacy for generations of students to come.

On one level, the thought of asking the students to sit out for a term or two and help get the dairy program going breaks our hearts because we so much desire to be a source of stability for these amazing young people, many of whom come from very difficult backgrounds.

On another level, we can see perhaps God’s hand is at work. A major focus of The Rock is teaching Africans to be spiritually and economically free. Perhaps this experience will point out the importance of them trusting God first rather than The Rock. Also, there is no better opportunity for The Rock to model the self-sustainability we teach to Africans than for us to involve the students in helping launch the dairy venture which can fund their educations. That’s in addition to them learning the value of hard work and sacrifice. (We would pay their living expenses during the dairy start up, but not their tuition and fees.

Please pray for us. Perhaps God will provide additional funding for the students to continue school uninterrupted. (Two students are only one semester away from graduation.) Or perhaps God will provide donors who want to get behind the dairy program so we can serve more students for generations to come.

If you would like to participate, please go to www.rockoutreach.org.

Matters of the Heart-Next Trip to Africa

As parents it is hard when you don't see your kids and I have the same feeling about the students that are part of the Rock Family in Africa. Several of them are in transition now and need my presence, guidance and help. Please consider if God would have you be a part of their lives as well by helping top up on funds that I need to go see them.

Joanitah graduates from university this month and is a little nervous about what is ahead. Not having immediate family to be a safety net is scary. It makes me think of how blessed I was when I stepped "out of the nest". My parents were there to encourage me each step of the way. Juliana and John are finishing university in October and we have resumes to write, practice interviews and contacts to make with companies that might want to consider hiring them.

This is just a small picture of the heart connection we have with our scholarship students. It really is a family and the new students who have just joined us are getting to know me and what our expectations are of them. Time spent with them in the cottage will help me understand the hurts they have experienced, their dreams for the future and the plan God has for them.

On past trips I have arranged to rent a cottage where all the students can come and go, cook, and just hang out. On one of the earlier trips all the girls had a sleep over and did “girly things” like our nails and stuff and it was so fun. Making time to listen and encourage in a relaxed environment is what develops the heart connections and allows me to really get to know the students.

While in Uganda we have so much developing at Uganda Christian University with the agriculture project. Our first crop of maize was harvested and sold and we are expanding into dairy cattle.

In Kenya the preschool we helped start in January 2010 is fully self sustainable and Pastor Peter tells me they are adding more teachers this year. He is leading the Rock agriculture project in his village Bouye, and we hope it will support a home for 16 orphans this year.

Below are the specific things I plan to accomplish on this trip:

Kenya
• Work with Pastor Peter and Joseph, The Rock EA Project manager, on reviewing progress of the new agriculture program in the village of Bouye. Planning the cash flows, marketing, expansion of land and progress towards self sustainability so we can build the home for orphans.
• Meeting with the village committee to discuss the commercial tailoring project, preschool progress, possible expansion of livestock and research that has been completed toward self sustainability and job creation in the village.
• Visit Rock Kingdom Builder families of the business people who have Rock loans.
• Encourage the kids in AWANA at our partner Deliverance churches.
• Teach and encourage the ladies in women's ministry.
Uganda
• Work with the Uganda Christian University Holding Company team and Ken, the Rock Uganda Project Coordinator, on the cash flows, next crop cycle, and expansion of the dairy cow project. Research the repair and retrofitting of a tractor.
• Meet with Kampala businesses to set up internships for graduating university scholars.
• Encourage recent graduates and discuss future who ministry opportunities. Meet with Emmanuel regarding his plan to help ladies who decide not to abort their babies. He and his wife Sarah both nurses are showing great initiative in developing a self sustainable plan for these young moms based on the Biblical principles we teach at the Rock. Research church community garden to help the moms.

It is easy to donate online at www.rockoutreach.org since time is close for me to travel. I have frequent flyer miles for my airline ticket but need $1,800 for all the other costs associated with the trip and care for our Rock family in Africa. Your prayers and financial help are greatly appreciated.

We All Need a Drink

Driving down the road, seeing the beggar with the sign; “Why lie? I need a drink” evoked two immediate responses. One was appreciate the honesty, and two was ignore it.

The beggar’s sign came to mind as we discussed writing our year-end letter. Suddenly the Word of God revealed the truth of the sign through Jesus’ story of the woman at the well. We all need a drink.

In John 19:13 Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

We are mere beggars, ushered to the throne and securing a mansion in heaven through grace by faith in Jesus alone. Many of us don’t want to present ourselves this way. Instead of the flawed, beat up beggar dependent upon Christ alone, we project a successful image – whether in our family, career or ministry.

Having just completed Thanksgiving, we are reminded it is good to count our blessings. But do we recount our blessings with the emphasis on us (the receiver) or God (the Giver)?

We resolve to embrace our helpless state and our need for a drink from Jesus. This is the way for eternal fruit in ministry, as Jesus says in John 7:37-38: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." The most amazing feeling we have all experienced is for streams of living water to flow from within us onto others! In The Rock, we see it overflowing into and out of the lives of the Africans we serve.

Through the Rock, God has accomplished much this year with your gifts. We have poured it all out. Like the story of the widow who used her last flour and oil to prepare a meal for the Prophet Elijah, our cup is empty. We don’t know who God will use to fill it. We trust He will use people like you to fill it again just as God filled the widow’s cup repeatedly. Then we will empty it in His service and become mere beggars again.

Why lie? We all need an eternal drink. If God desires streams of living water to flow from you by standing with your brothers and sisters in Africa through supporting our ministry with The Rock, please embrace the blessing.

Merry Christmas!

Mark and Margaret

"All The Far" God Has Brought Us

God is good. All the time. Because that’s His nature! What a joy to see my African friends on a recent trip and experience, in their local vernacular, “all the far God has brought them.”

A highlight was attending the wedding of Emmanuel and Sarah. Emma was among the first graduates of The Rock’s Uganda scholarship program and the first to get a job where he regularly gets the opportunity to share the Gospel as a nurse. Now he’s the first to get married.

Our other scholarship students are stepping up in leadership on campus. Two were elected class representatives and another is in charge of “campus welfare,” which is advocating for the spiritual and physical needs of the student body.

Great strides also are taking place in Kenya, where the men involved in the business development and discipleship program are thriving. One sure sign of spiritual maturity is reaching out beyond ourselves and these men have grasped a passion to “take their city for Christ!” They are excited about mentoring and discipling outside their group as well as helping to build an orphanage.

God knew I needed all the encouragement He provided on this trip. Ministry remains a spiritual battleground and we face constant challenges in ministry and finances.

Returning to the U.S., I was ready to hit the ground running in preparation for our major event of the year Nov. 19, “Lifted – Songs and Stories of Triumph” featuring Dove Award Winner Steve Green in concert and a new documentary based on Psalm 40 entitled “A Firm Place to Stand.” Tickets start at only $5 with a 20 percent discount for groups of 10 or more so please go to rockoutreach.org to get yours now. There is an option to have dinner with Steve before the concert. This is meant as a ministry outreach for Christians and nonbelieving friends. It is an excellent opportunity for families, church groups and social groups to enjoy an economical and inspiring evening together.

Such an event is a lot of work and, frankly, can be a little scary in putting together, especially when it’s in the Eisemann Theatre of Richardson which seats 1,500. But, refreshed by my African friends, I feel the Holy Spirit encouraging me, “Enjoy, Mark, and just see what I am going to do!”

Abundant Fruit in Financial Drought

The drought is upon us, but the fruit is flourishing. In our case, the drought is a steep dip in financial support (both ministry and personal) while the fruit is an abundance of strong African disciples stepping up into Christian leadership.

It is like Jeremiah 17:7-8:

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."

We are nourishing our roots in God’s stream. He is encouraging us by the amazing fruit of the ministry as we wait for Him to bring the rain to end the financial drought.

Ben Kisiki, a Ugandan Rock scholarship student who has lived with us this summer while interning at Liberty Institute, is a huge encouragement. Ben was a bright light at Liberty, a Christian advocacy law group. “Ben is hard working, intelligent, well-spoken and committed to the constitutional law issues we work on,” writes Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel. “Without reservation, we would recommend him for a legal position.”

In addition to his exemplary legal work, Ben has challenged many with his strong Christian faith and commitment to the Bible.

Then there is Ken Mollo, another Rock law graduate who recently went to work for The Rock in Uganda. Ken is leading our cooperative agriculture program with Uganda Christian University. He has a passion for evangelizing the workers in the fields and also helping teach other indigenous ministries professional agricultural techniques as a means of attaining self-sustainability.

Ken is a born leader who also oversees John Mugowa, our Rock scholarship coordinator. John suggested a discipleship camp for our new incoming scholarship students. He and Ken are working together on a four-day conference later this month on an island in Lake Victoria for the eight scholarship students.

Here are some of the topics they are developing on their own initiative:
-The Rock Creed (see posting below) for initiating new entrants.
-Team work and team building, one body many parts. (1 Cor 12:12-30)
-Finding our identity in Christ: Building self esteem (1 Peter 2: 9-10 ); (Psalm 139:14) I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
-Redeeming time for the days are evil: saving time to maximize academic and spiritual efficacy at campus ( Eph 5:15-21)
-Personal budgeting and Financial Management: Being good stewards of God’s gifts…even our monies.
-Personal and Public Etiquette, cleanliness is next to Godliness.

In addition to the scholarship students, the Holy Spirit is at work in our leadership of the men’s discipleship program in Kenya.

Daniel Omondi, chairman of the Rock-trained Kingdom Builders who seek to do business and life God’s way, has a passion for reaching more men. Recently, 52 men responded to his invitation to be discipled by the 10-member Kingdom Builders group in his church. Joseph Musungu, Rock East Africa program manager in Kenya, has a vision of 500 more men being discipled in the next year.

Peter Otieno, a young Kenyan pastor, is growing in leaps and bounds as we equip him and his church to be self-sustaining in the primary school we recently helped them start. Peter also is excited to oversee an agricultural project we expect will provide funding for a new mercy home for children in his village.

There is more but I won’t go on. We would really appreciate you standing with us financially as God yields the fruit in The Rock.

The Rock Leadership Creed

All: We commit to develop fully our God-given abilities to serve Him and our country. We believe as leaders:

Leader: The best leader …
All: … is a great follower of Jesus.(1 Samuel 13:14)

Leader: A leader leads …
All: … by example.(1 Corinthians 4:16)

Leader: A leader does everything …
All: … as if unto the Lord, not men.(Ephesians 6:7)

Leader: A leader serves …
All: … rather than being served.(Matthew 20:28)

Leader: A leader considers others …
All: … more important than self.(Philippians 2:3-4)

Leader: Without Jesus …
All: … we can do nothing.(John 15:5)

Leader: With Jesus …
All: … we are more than conquerors.(Romans 8:37)

All: We stand on The Rock of Jesus.

Rain Shows Reign

The Rock’s recent agriculture opportunity is reminding us of God’s sovereignty. We are praying that the 20 acres we cultivated in cooperation with the agriculture department at Uganda Christian University will generate enough cash to help fund several of our scholarship students this fall.

We planted beans and maize and now we wait and pray for God to provide the rain and do the growing. He indeed is the Lord of the harvest who reigns over all. We can do our part correctly, but only He can produce the results.

The Lord is impressing upon us this is true in all aspects of The Rock ministry. We can teach discipleship and leadership to the children, scholarship students and business people of our flock, but only He can fill their hearts.

The documentary we are producing of God’s miraculous deeds in the lives of Africans we serve can win awards and accolades, but only God can use it to draw people to Himself and to prompt people to stand with The Rock’s passion for discipleship and leadership training.

We can pack the house with 1,650 people for our Steve Green Concert Event for The Rock Nov. 19 at Eisemann Performance Center in Richardson, but only He can make the event a Kingdom success.

Our radio show at 5 p.m. on Mondays on KWRD 100.7 FM in Dallas can share great stories and testimonies, but only He can use them to change and bless lives.
We believe God is calling us to a higher level of worship and praise of His sovereignty and might.

We want to praise Him continually and depend upon Him alone. One way we are doing this is through an increased emphasis on prayer. If God would call you to stand with us in prayer, please email me at marknoblin@rockoutreach.org and I can tell you of some exciting ways to pray and get involved.

And please pray for rain in Mukono Uganda for our crops! We need a good harvest to help raise a portion of the $13,000 required for the term beginning in September for nine outstanding young men and women in our leadership/discipleship scholarship program.

-- Mark