We Dig; God Fills

The story of God miraculously providing three kings water without rain but not before instructing them to dig ditches to receive it is an encouragement to us in pursuing Kingdom View.

The scripture from 2 Kings 3:16-18 shows our dependence on God, our duty to respond to Him by faith rather than sight and His unique provision.

T
he kings, all with powerful armies, were brought to their knees against the Moabites by a simple lack of water.
 

When they turned to the Prophet Elisha, he inquired of the Lord who instructed, “Make this valley full of ditches … You shall not see wind, neither shall you see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water, that you may drink …"
 

At The Rock, we continue to dig more ditches. Praise God He has provided funds for three plots and a down payment on another toward acquiring six plots totaling 1.25 acres we believe He has set aside for Kingdom View. We need another $78,500 to complete purchase of the land.
 

Meanwhile, about $7,500 has been donated for construction of Phase 1 on land we already own for the
Priscilla and Aquila Home. About $67,500 is still needed to complete the ministry home where Margaret and I plan to live sometime after moving to Africa next Spring.

M
argaret and I are digging ditches for what we believe is God’s leading for us to move back to Africa. This includes unglamorous tasks like making repairs and improvements to our home in the U.S. so we can rent it when we leave for Africa. It also includes reaching out to more people and raising additional support for our mission. Our passion is to disciple Africans to embrace their freedom and identity in Jesus, break economic dependency and lead fulfilling spiritual lives as disciples themselves.
 

We’ll keep digging those ditches. Would you pray if God would have you be a part of filling them up?
 

As the great preacher Charles Spurgeon concluded his sermon
Make This Valley Full of Ditches:

"
Come to Him, trust in Him, make your heart this morning full of trenches, full of great desires, longings and prayers! If so, God will fill your soul, for He hears the humble, and despises not their tears.”

Mark and Margaret Back to Live in Africa

Our calling to move back to Africa is in line with God's character of revealing His itinerary for us one step at a time.

God told Abraham to "go to the land I will show you."(Gen. 12:1)  After his blinding encounter with Jesus, Paul was told to "get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."  (Acts 9:6)

Now we believe He has called us to the next big next step -- moving back to Africa to establish Kingdom View.  Twelve years of ministry have given us a clear focus to help Africans understand their freedom and identity in Jesus.  This is the only way they can overcome economic dependency on the west, endemic corruption and a continuing influence of witchcraft. 


As usual, the implementation is totally beyond our means.  That gives confidence God is in it as we know He wants the glory.  We believe where God provides the vision, He provides the provision.  In faith, we are planning on returning to Uganda for a month on Sept. 7 to continue our discipling in person and to lay the groundwork for a move there by April 2015.

In the meantime, we are preparing our Dallas home for rental and seeing who God will provide to stand with us.  We trust God to assemble teams of prayer warriors, ministry boosters and financial partners (see chart below for specifics) to help the vision of Kingdom View become a reality.

We have land to build an "Aquila and Priscilla Missionary Home" (the circular banda #1 on the site plan) which would serve as our residence in Phase 1.  Our land also is sufficient for three guest bandas with two self-sustainable units each and a pavilion with kitchen for 150 people serving campus fellowships in Phase 2.  A fellowship center and guest house is Phase 3.  An adjoining two-thirds of an acre is needed for retreats and future expansion (funds needed now as land could be offered to other buyers).

 


Prayer Warriors
Ministry Boosters
Financial Partners
Email lists
Home Dessert Gatherings (Oct.)
$75,000 Priscilla & Aquilla Home
Monthly home prayer meetings 
Freedom Family Picnic
(July)
$82,000 additional land
Daily personal prayers
Pancake Breakfast
(Dec.)
$125,000 pavilion and bandas
Weekly prayer conference call
Informal Restaurant Fundraisers (Monthly)
$600,000 fellowship/guesthouse

If you think God may be prompting you to use your spiritual gifts to be a part of this vision, please contact marknoblin@rockoutreach.org or call him at 214.912.2198.


Mark and Margaret Noblin

God the Great Multiprocessor

It's an awesome thing to see the Hand of God clearly at work and multiprocessing in ministry. What a great blessing for us to see Joseph grow from a difficult beginning as a boy in western Uganda.


Joseph with baby, teen mom and Constance
We saw him blossom as he assumed leadership in a mercy home the Lord allowed us to launch. He then entered our university scholarship program and beat the odds in Uganda by getting a job when he graduated last year (only about 35 percent do).

Now he is listening to Jesus to use his limited spare time to minister to teenage girls in crisis.

Joseph said his heart was touched when pregnant girls and new teenage moms would knock on the door of his apartment while in university. Many asked if they could wash his clothes to earn money to feed their babies. Joseph says Jesus spoke to him and told him to minister to them.
Joseph shared his passion with friends and some joined in. He met Constance, who now has received her university degree in social work, while doing a university internship. She has come alongside him to minister to these girls. Many of the girls face being outcast from their families because they no longer can command a bride price. In the Ugandan culture, they may also be seen as bringing shame on their households.Joseph formed a Community Based Organization, Teenage Mother's Outreach (TEMO). Its vision is "A youthful generation that is morally, socially and spiritually pleasing to the Lord."

He also reached out to Mukono Church of Uganda Hospital, which agreed to refer girls in crisis to the budding ministry. Many of the girls contemplate abortion, which is illegal but frequent in Uganda. Others who have their babies would have no idea of how to care or provide for their babies without guidance from TEMO.
Joseph has sacrificially given from his modest earnings to support the ministry and has not asked for nor received financial support from the West. We are thrilled to be able to come alongside Joseph by not only mentoring and giving spiritual guidance, but also by allowing him to plant crops on a portion of the land The Rock has purchased for Kingdom View. Joseph always has had a "green thumb" and is excited to grow crops on .25 acre to produce income and provide food for the benefit of the girls.


It is wonderful to see God putting the land to work for His purposes already as we continue to acquire more land and raise funds for the Kingdom View Fellowship and Guest House.

Mark, Margaret and Dan