Ingrid and Lyle Lathrop are serving the Karamajong people in northeastern Uganda. They work with Africa Inland Mission (AIM) . After intensive training in Uganda last year, they returned to the US to raise support and soak up time with family. At the end of last month, Ingrid and Lyle returned to Uganda - this time to live there for the next two years. I've grown up with their daughters, and went on a mission trip to Nicaragua with them when I was a teenager. I love Ingrid and Lyle's genuine love for all people, and their joy in saying yes to serving the Karamajong.
Here are Ingrid's thoughts:
1. What does grace mean to me and how has it shown up in my life over the years or in my life as a married couple.
I have come to understand grace as a powerful force that God has placed over my life through the Holy Spirit, in my years of following Christ. It is not only the gift of redemption that transformed me into a new person, not refurbished, but new:), it is the power that allows me to resist temptation and evil, and the power of Christ within to love with His love no matter the person or circumstance. In my marriage this has proven to be a force to allow me to see sin clearly, both in myself and when my spouse might sin against me, and still understand that God's grace to us is sufficient to see honestly without negating what has happened and forgive or repent. 1 John 3:9 and 5:18 both speak to God's children not "practicing" sin. I have come to understand that it is the power of grace that makes this a reality in Christ followers lives.
2. What am I learning about God or from God in this season of my life.
I continue to learn more about Who He is, His character, His absolute ability to be trusted, His vast multifaceted creative variety in culture and people. From Him I have and am learning that His ways are consistent as is His nature, so I can trust Him speaking in me to line up with what I have already known about Him. His power to move in my circumstances as I yield and surrender to what He leads me to do continues to amaze me and fill me more and more with the absolute certainty that He is worth all my life in every way forever.
3. How to pray for Uganda and the Karamajong people.
In seeking The Lord on this; both absolutely need reconciliation between clans and tribes as well as interpersonal. For the Karamajong-the children (street children) that are being resettled in Karamoja back with family of some sort, that they would remember what they learned here at the home they were rescued by, Dwelling Places, about God, Jesus and who they are in Christ. That the families would receive them back and that the Holy Spirit would move in these families. Pray that they will receive the truth that God loves them and sees them as most valuable to Him.
I have come to understand grace as a powerful force that God has placed over my life through the Holy Spirit, in my years of following Christ. It is not only the gift of redemption that transformed me into a new person, not refurbished, but new:), it is the power that allows me to resist temptation and evil, and the power of Christ within to love with His love no matter the person or circumstance. In my marriage this has proven to be a force to allow me to see sin clearly, both in myself and when my spouse might sin against me, and still understand that God's grace to us is sufficient to see honestly without negating what has happened and forgive or repent. 1 John 3:9 and 5:18 both speak to God's children not "practicing" sin. I have come to understand that it is the power of grace that makes this a reality in Christ followers lives.
2. What am I learning about God or from God in this season of my life.
I continue to learn more about Who He is, His character, His absolute ability to be trusted, His vast multifaceted creative variety in culture and people. From Him I have and am learning that His ways are consistent as is His nature, so I can trust Him speaking in me to line up with what I have already known about Him. His power to move in my circumstances as I yield and surrender to what He leads me to do continues to amaze me and fill me more and more with the absolute certainty that He is worth all my life in every way forever.
3. How to pray for Uganda and the Karamajong people.
In seeking The Lord on this; both absolutely need reconciliation between clans and tribes as well as interpersonal. For the Karamajong-the children (street children) that are being resettled in Karamoja back with family of some sort, that they would remember what they learned here at the home they were rescued by, Dwelling Places, about God, Jesus and who they are in Christ. That the families would receive them back and that the Holy Spirit would move in these families. Pray that they will receive the truth that God loves them and sees them as most valuable to Him.
If you would like to learn more about the Karamajong and the Lathrop's work in Uganda, please read more here: Lathrop's Path .
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