Michael, one of the young men who volunteered to help build the Gogodala training center, is the son of Namulu, the wood carver who used to sell us sculptures he had chiseled. Michael’s mother died unexpectedly about five or six years ago. After her death, his father got blamed for using sorcery to kill her. I felt sorry for Michael. He often got teased by the other workers because he came across as slow, clumsy and accident-prone. One day, as we were building the first guest house, he sat on a board too weak to carry his weight. Snap! The board broke. He fell 10 feet to the ground and sprained his ankle. In spite of it all, he continued to come to work faithfully.

As Michael has matured, his talents have blossomed. He has taken a special interest in working with metal. I have seen him resolve dilemmas that require some degree of ingenuity while installing metal soffits, gutters and trim work around the training center. I can put him on a job and know that he will find a way to get it done. Michael is also as strong as an ox. Whenever we need a hand for lifting something heavy, he is the first one we call upon.

Three years ago when we were showing a series of evangelistic meetings, Michael watched and listened intently. He noted the Bible verses and studied them with his cousins. Later, when Pastor Marc Coleman visited our project and conducted some baptisms, Michael was baptized. Now he happily continues to be involved with the work of our mission.

Please remember Michael and the rest of our work crew in your prayers that they may truly be “a chosen generation” and “show forth the praises of [Christ] who hath called [them] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

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