He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” – Mark 4:26-29
Advocating for the most vulnerable in Africa is like planting seeds. Prayerfully sharing one story at a time, in the hope that one of those ‘seeds’ will stick and bear fruit.
At the beginning of May, there was a gathering of advocates from North America held in Canada. To have advocates from different backgrounds and on different journeys with Hands at Work together in one place is a privilege. It is a gift to spend time sharing stories and spurring one another on as they advocate and speak as a voice for the voiceless.
Throughout the weekend together, there were many moments to go deeper into relationship with one another and opportunities to dig deeper into what it means to advocate within the context of where we live. It involved continually asking, how can we be better advocates?
Several advocates reflect on the weekend together:
Kaiwin Su, pastor at Grace Alameda Church in the United States shares,
“Our family thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Advocates Gathering. While our church, Grace Alameda, has been partners with Hands for quite a while, I was not as familiar as I wanted to be with the organisation. As our church prepares to send out and support our own missionaries this summer, we wanted to have full confidence and belief that Hands would be the right partner to work with. The Gathering was an incredible confirmation that Hands was not only the right fit for our prospective missionaries but for our church. It was also a blessed affirmation of God’s faithfulness to the least of these in Africa.
There is a palpable sense of joy and hope amongst the advocates that the Spirit is at work in a powerful way in Africa, not only in meeting essential needs in far-flung places but bringing about deep-seated heart transformation as well. We appreciate the relational manner in which Hands seeks to accomplish its vision which includes a mission model that resources and empowers local leaders to love and serve their own communities.
Our family also enjoyed the time of refreshment. The kids enjoyed the wonderful children’s program that taught them about what God is doing in Africa. This freed my wife and me up to focus on connecting, learning, and engaging. We’re thankful for our time at the Advocates Gathering and are excited for how we can continue to grow alongside Hands moving forward.”
Marj Miller, long-time friend and advocate from Canada shares,
“We enjoyed so many wonderful experiences at the North American Gathering that it is hard to select a particular gift or blessing, but in retrospect, what stands out the most is the overwhelming sense of family, belonging, and togetherness. On our arrival, we were greeted by our friend with his newborn infant, and from there, the weekend continued to provide countless opportunities to interact on a deep and personal level with the Hands family whom we had not had face-to-face contact since the pandemic isolated us all. What a joy it was to stand among this diverse group of people, representing every demographic and many different locales and marvel at how we are all knitted together by God with one passion and purpose.
While some people were unable to attend and were missed, there was a spirit of unity among us, even with those we were meeting for the first time. How amazing it was to be inspired and challenged by our African brothers and sisters, to hear them greet us by name, and to be joined together in our mutual desire to care for the vulnerable in Africa and wherever God has planted us. We came away renewed in our commitment to live out our Watchword, having felt the Spirit of the Lord upon us, confirming that we are anointed to bring Good News. Our hearts are full.”
Lisa Loewen, Advocate from Edmonton, Canada
It was a joy to see the unifying power of the gospel on full display. All weekend there was a conspicuous focus placed on Christ and His mission. Springing from such profound commonality, many new acquaintances immediately became good friends. I’m excited to see how God will continue to move in and through those gathered and am eager to meet the new good friends He will surely add to the group. As I considered the depth of our bond in Christ, I was reminded of the passage in 1 Peter that describes God's people as living stones being built up into one spiritual house. Upon the sure foundation of Christ, each stone is built to be supported by the others, firmly established by God and sealed by His Spirit. While I know many of us long to be geographically closer to our dear friends across Africa and beyond, how distinct our nearness is in Christ! By this measure, these beloved saints are but around the corner or across the room of the very house in which we stand. Thanks be to God for this good gift!
Jess Bolton, Advocate from Bragg Creek Church in Alberta, Canada, shares,
“In April, I was blessed with an incredible and very eye-opening trip to Zambia. I’m very new to Hands at Work, but when I heard about our Bragg Creek Church’s team going just this past December, I immediately felt God urging me to learn more and explore the idea of joining them, which I did! During our prep time before the trip, we also got invited to join the North America Advocates Gathering that was happening just three days after I was to return to Canada. I was sure this was the second worst timing possible other than actually missing it completely. Little did I know then that it was actually quite perfect timing for me and my family! So we signed the whole family up before going to Africa. God works in so many wonderful ways.
My family, including my husband and our three kids, were heartily welcomed, and the kids made best friends 10 minutes after arriving.
It was a huge blessing for me to be surrounded by so many passionate people who’ve all spent time in Africa. There was lots of time connecting with people, sharing stories and raw emotions. I’m so thankful I got to finish my trip debriefing and processing time at the Gathering surrounded by a family that understood all the excitement, sadness and questions I had. And on top of my benefit from it, my family also got to be part of the Hands at Work community. The kids got introduced to each other and learned about children in Africa - which was a great and eye-opening experience for them! My husband Anthony also got a chance to hear and learn more about Hands’ mission and goals, and I’m super grateful for that. I was worried before the trip with him not coming along about how I could possibly help him understand what I had experienced. The Gathering was the perfect bridge for that; learning about the structure and people of Hands in North America and Africa and so many first-hand stories and testimonies of Hands’ fruitful work.”