Dear friends,
I hope that your summers are going well! Cambridge is quieter with less students around during these months, yet our summer Bible Course for Harvard College Faith and Action (HCFA) is continuing and there are only two weeks left of studying through the book of Isaiah.
Although it has been quiet in Cambridge, Christian Union sent a small team of Harvard and Cornell Faith and Action students to Uganda in June. Three students and I spent two weeks ministering to orphans and widows affected by HIV/AIDS in partnership with ROWAN (Rural Orphans Widows AIDS Network), an organization that ministers to these particularly under-served and under-resourced people living in rural villages. This was the fourth year Christian Union sent a team to the village of Mawanga where Pastor Paul, who is one of the co-founders of ROWAN, lives with his family. Our team stayed with Pastor Paul and interacted with the amazing staff of ROWAN as they traveled with us and translated for us. Our time there consisted of living in rich spiritual community, doing home visits to those that ROWAN serves in the community- these consisted mainly of us listening and asking questions, encouraging each other and praying for them, participating in the children’s program for which our team was able to each share as part of a collective sermon for the children, and lead activities. We were also able to be a part of a building project for one of the widows whose home had collapsed due to the rain- while we were there we watched and helped (although minimally) rebuild Sarah’s house from the ground up. This was one of the highlights of our time, as we ended the trip with a celebration of Sarah’s house almost being finished. The community built a fire and we gathered around to share praise and thanks to God for His provision, encouraged each other and celebrated! Our team was deeply encouraged every night as we would spend hours chatting after dinner with Pastor Paul and members of ROWAN’s staff, we learned so much as they answered our questions and shared stories about God’s goodness and faithfulness. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we were all profoundly impacted by what we witnessed and learned, and are still learning, namely from the people we met and developed a deep love for.
Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for HCFA. Continue to lift up our students who are having all sorts of summer experiences — that most of all they would draw near to God wherever they are, for our staff that we would be refreshed, rested and prepared for what is to come and for God’s favor upon us as HCFA seeks to be a blessing on Harvard’s campus.
In Christ,
Christine Shin
Christian Union Ministry Fellow
Harvard University
Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates on how to pray for Christian Union's work at Harvard, please email prayer@christianunion.org.
