Why did God choose lowly shepherds to share the news of Jesus' birth?

December 17, 2023

Shepherds.  This year my mind has been trying to wrap my head around why God revealed the birth of the baby Jesus first to these humble, lowly individuals.  Why not someone more important or influential?  They were nobodies, outcasts of society, although everyone needed the lambs they raised for the sacrifice.  Was it just because they were out in their fields and would have noticed the sky?  Or was there was something in the heart of God, in His nature, that was drawn to share the news of His Son with them?  It was like God Himself wanted to call all His closest friends and tell them about this miracle.  After all Jesus Himself said that He was the good shepherd.  God understands shepherds, their sense of responsibility and watch care over these vulnerable animals, because He Himself is one.  If you were a chef and you came up with the most amazing preparation of lemon meringue pie, wouldn’t you call your likeminded friends to enjoy it with you? 

 

God may have shared the news first with the them because He is a shepherd, but another truth is that God valued leadership of shepherds.  Many of the Old Testament leaders who were shepherds.  Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Elisha, David, and others were shepherds before they were leaders (patriarchs, Prophet, King)!  It was an important and necessary livelihood, but it was not a glamorous one to live with animals.  David was selected as the next king when he was but a small shepherd boy.  Even from a young age David must have learned about being responsible for other living things, to watch out for the weak and to keep the flock together.  The qualities of leadership from being a shepherd are oftentimes overlooked.  He wanted the shepherds to have an important role in sharing this news with people of all societal classes.  If the news came to the shepherds, it must be news for all people.  It seems that God has always had his eyes on these people, beginning with Abraham the Father of many nations.

 

Fulfillment of prophesy is another aspect why God chose shepherds to see the Christ child.  God fulfills His promises to His people-both in small and big things.  Micah 4:8 speaks to shepherds being a “watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion.”  To the shepherds it is promised that “The former dominion will be restored to you, kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”  Out of Bethlehem…will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times (Micah 5:2).  It is very likely that the angels appeared to not just any shepherd, but Levitical shepherds who watched over animals destined for temple sacrifice.  It is thought that the shepherds in the nativity narrative were watching their flocks on a plain north of Bethlehem in a place called Migdal Eder.  Did they know that they would be part of the fulfillment of this prophesy in Micah?  It is unlikely they would have heard the words of the prophesy read in the temple due to their uncleanliness.  Did they understand what Savior meant?  This might have made sense because they knew their sinfulness and need for an atoning sacrifice.  Imagine the JOY they must have felt to feel valued with such AMAZING NEWS that a Savior was born for them, lowly, lonely shepherds!  God Himself saw them and called them like valued members of a family to see the Christ child.  What a beautiful image!

 

The Savior of the world came in a way we would not expect and to people we would not have chosen.  The shepherds would have understood that all they really had to offer was themselves, not money or status.  They were in a position to humbly receive the Christ child.  We are told that they believed, glorified, and praised God.  That is a testimony that would have been interesting to hear.

 

Christmas in Africa is always more contemplative somehow.  I have never thought very much about these humble characters, the shepherds.  I LOVE that God chose them as worthy to share this news with!  I can imagine their joy to be entrusted with this news.  I hope this will inspire you to consider these humble shepherds and see that the Good News is for all people.

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep...I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd my flock with justice." Ezekiel 34: 11-12; 16.

Blessed Advent!

Lindsey

 

 

Peanut Harvest

November 17, 2023

 

This week we are harvesting peanuts and rebuilding a chicken coop.  I am starting to think about what I will cook for Thanksgiving next week, to include peanuts...I want to cook plants that are harvested locally.  For those of you who have never harvested peanuts, it is a lot of work!  Peanuts are also known as “groundnuts” so they grow underground.  To harvest this crop one needs to pull up every plant in the garden (weed and crop alike) to isolate the peanuts.  Then you have to remove every peanut from the underground vine.  This is where children in this area get involved…eating and separating the nuts from the mother plant.  People sit under trees for hours, laughing and singing as they separate the peanuts from the mother plants.  An abundance of rain results in the peanut pods sprouting and developing root systems.  It is important to harvest peanuts at the right time before this happens.

 

Peanuts are an essential crop in central Africa.  They can be ground into a protein-rich paste/oil which is added to many vegetables like cooked spinach and squash leaves.  Peanuts can be preserved for several months between harvests.  They preserve just about the length of time (3-6months) before the next harvest is available.  I love how God created this plant to be preserved for just the right amount of time.

 

There is a beautiful older woman who brings me vegetables every few days who I affectionately call Tate, which means Grandmother.  She noticed that we were starting our peanut harvest and asked for a handful of fresh peanuts as she was leaving.  I brought her a handful of g-nuts in their shell which she received with a huge grin on her face, saying she would grill them with salt with her dinner that evening.  

 

I love that we can live close to the land and appreciate how God provides for us.  I love how Emmanuel can learn about plants in his studies and then go outside and practice what he has learned.  Our very lives depend on plants and their production.  I feel a thankfulness to my Creator as I participate in the harvest and processing of grain.  

 

Ecclesiastes 11: 4-6 speaks to the necessity of being diligent to work, to plant, whatever the weather and to leave the harvest up to God.  I can relate to this here in Congo where people plant fields in several places to increase their chances of success.  Then they work diligently and pray for rain.

“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.  As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you can not understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.  Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”

Blessings from Nyankunde and Happy Thanksgiving!

Lindsey for the Coopers

Miracles and Faithfulness in the Small Things

November 5, 2023. 

Multiplication of Black Soybeans

November 5, 2023

God can take what little we have and make much of it for His glory.  He wants us to offer our limited resources…like the widowed woman who poured a small amount of oil into many borrowed containers in 2 Kings 4.  She needed to pay her debts after her husband’s death in order to keep her children.  The miracle happened when she responded in faith to Elisha’s challenge and asked for help from her neighbors.  "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." Everyone became a witness to the miracle that Elisha declared for her.  The feeding of the 4000 and 5000 is very similar in that Jesus asks for their contribution and participation before He performs the miracle.  He wants us to notice the change and be part of the multiplication of the resource.

Even in our own lives (and garden) we see how God can take a small and seemingly insignificant thing and multiply it.  A recent example is our farming of black soybeans.  We had a bumper crop a few years back that we had to abandon due to insecurity.  It was very sad.  We were left with two small shoots and a few beans.  After several harvests, in an attempt to produce enough seeds, we now have enough to plant a plot of land again!  This is kind of what the Lord does when we give Him what we have.  He makes much more of it which results in fruitfulness. 

Why do I share this?  God is ready to work miracles in our lives, in the small, ordinary things.  He wants us to bring our needs to Him, use what we have, and do more than we could imagine.  What area of your lives do you need to see God work?  Take the first step by letting Him know your needs, ask for help, and the use whatever resources you have.

We appreciate your prayers for us as we get settled into life and ministry in Eastern DRC.

-Join us in giving thanks for a recent visit by a partner who supports our malnutrition programs. We have seen God multiply blessings through these programs to support the vulnerable in our community.

-Thank Him for the survival of a woman and child who survived a birth complication last weekend.

-Pray for on-going discipleship of the medical staff here in Nyankunde.

-Pray for medical needs of rural peoples in our region, access to safe surgery and birth assistance.

God bless you!

Lindsey for the Coopers

Speaking of small things, here is a small baby born yesterday.  Please pray for her.

 

5-Day Trip Back to Africa

October 25th, 2023

 

 

Back in Africa after a 5-day journey!  Travel simply takes a lot of patience and endurance.  We flew to Uganda (a night), drove across the country to the western border of Lake Albert (another night), crossed the lake to Bunia (a night), and finally to our home.  One of the big factors in travel is simply the fact that it is safest to travel by day.  It is good to be back in our African home.  

 

Our time in the US what full of blessings!  We made new friends, connected with old friends, attended/spoke at a medical conference inn Florida, follow-up for Warren’s eyes, and took a trip to Disneyworld!  We were able to stay with Warren’s cousin Joe and his family in Florida for several days.  Emmanuel was able to attend his school at Grace Academy for 3 weeks, have a sleep-over with a friend, go tubing on the lake, and just be a kid in North Carolina in the fall.   I enjoyed buying roasted chicken in the grocery to my heart’s content…broccoli and all of our favorites.  Somehow we squeezed in work on the house, while I did swimming work-outs and spread mulch.  We acquired/advised on medical equipment to bring back to Congo.  Our bags and hearts were full at the end of the month.  God has been abundantly good to us.

 

Sometimes it surprises me what is difficult coming back into this context.  I have lived 25% of my life here…it is familiar and I feel at home.  But you come back to happy but hungry pets, an empty pantry, and lots of sick kids.  People wait for you to come back to resume programs.  There are many needs…and I see suffering through new eyes.  I think, “wow children really do live difficult lives here.”  One needs to pull together reports on nutrition programs and make plans for the immediate future.  One needs to start home-schooling right away.  One needs to buy food, figure out what is in the garden, defrost the freezer.  There is always the question of how do I get something from here to there.  What is current price of corn of soy?  How can we accomplish the milling of grain?  There is a lot to do in the ‘slow-paced’ village.  It feels like we are farming several things, always processing a crop and preparing another.

 

Then things settle down a bit and a routine resumes.  We prioritize things and take care of things one by one.  We are thankful that Emmanuel does well with these transitions.  We are so thankful that he feels like he belongs in both places.  What a rich childhood-understanding and speaking two foreign languages, and having friends across cultures.

 

Medical Work

We share Emmanuel’s schooling responsibilities which means we both work less.  This seems to work out all right and concentrates our work days.  Today Warren helped maternity deal with two ectopic pregnancies.  He used a technique called “auto-transfusion” to drain blood that had accumulated in the abdomen and give it back to the patient.  It can be life-saving in an environment like this where blood donors may not be immediately available.  My morning was spent working with a new nutritionist on classification of malnutrition and how to evaluate progress.  The pediatric wards are getting a little facelift and new coat of paint.  I have a patient who desperately needs a mitral valve replacement and struggles with daily activities.  

 

 

Visitors

We have had more visitors recently which is always a blessing.  It hasn’t always been easy being the only full-time medical missionaries here, but we accept this.  This is a place that we care about and feels worth investing in.  We are hopeful that the security situation will continue to improve.  All of our health centers are open and there is more movement of patients.  

 

Prayer

Our hearts break for the suffering happening in the Middle East on all sides.  Israel is at war with Hamas and many Israelis and Palestinians have died already.  We pray for those who are suffering and we pray for control of this territory again.  It seems like the world is so troubled these days.  Maybe the world has always been troubled.  Lord have mercy.

 

-Pray for us as we continue to adjust to life back in Congo.  Pray that we would represent Jesus Christ in word and deed.

-Pray for upcoming visitors this next week who are coming to see our programs that support women and children.

 

Lindsey