Occupational Therapy, Architecture, and the Love of God
16 Jul 2024
We are Jarrod and Claire, and we have recently been accepted to serve on the Pioneers team in Arua, Uganda.
Our mission journey began around June 2022 after our first trip to Arua to see a friend (fellow Pioneers member, Bree), with an inkling that we were being called to missions. It was on this trip that God touched our hearts and gave us a clear conviction that this was where He wants us to be. From then, God has been so good, teaching us far more about the world and His people than we ever expected.
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There have been highs and lows throughout the journey, which caused us to be constantly prayerful and trusting in God for the right outcomes. This was a great lesson in giving control over to Him and living for Him in every season of our lives, even when it is unpredictable. It was a daily process of giving our lives fully to Him, submitting to serve Him anywhere He calls us!
We are very excited to be sent out, and to soon begin immersing ourselves within the team and community in Arua. With Claire’s background in Paediatric Occupational Therapy, she will be stepping into an established ministry called “Sunflower Ministries”. They help provide holistic care to children with disabilities in their contexts and seek to bring an understanding of disability as a whole to the families and community – especially emphasising each child’s inherent value as God’s beloved! Jarrod, with a background as an Architectural Draftsman and general all-rounder, hopes to use his skills to assist with practical community needs. This will provide an avenue for building relationships, sharing about Jesus and demonstrating Christ’s love for them in word and deed.
There are many opportunities in Arua, with a diverse community of refugees, Muslims, old and young, all needing the light, hope and love found in and through Christ alone. We are so thankful for Pioneers training and guidance throughout the process. Please join us in prayer as we head out, that each of our steps would be guided by our heavenly Father, and that we will rely on the Holy Spirit at work in us, not our own strength.
Jarrod and Claire | Pioneers Members
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