Although Abigael did not want to teach, God called her to be a teacher far from home. She joined a family at Mbiuni, and attended a church whose members were the only Sabbath keepers in the area. God placed a burden in her to help the church grow.

ACF Institute 2018: A Higher Aim

<p>Although Abigael did not want to teach, God called her to be a teacher far from home. She joined a family at Mbiuni, and attended a church whose members were the only Sabbath keepers in the area. God placed a burden in her to help the church grow.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Adventist Christian Fellowship (ACF)

Abigael Songok

Teaching at Mbiuni, Kenya Was Just a Means

Last time when we went to SEF Arizona, I convinced Andre to actually come for the meeting together with 2 other friends.

But When it was close to time to leave, he actually studies birds and he likes to go to Peru, Brazil and so many other parts to study birds.

So it almost happened that this time was scheduled for that event and I wanted him to be in Arizona so I actually prayed that God opened a way and he didn't go to that trip and he was available.

But I remember 1 time when we were supposed to choose new leaders those who were leaders then were about to leave and then we didn't have a new person for the SCF at LSU.

And I remember when we just met, at this time Andrew really used not to come so much to our meetings and so we were meeting, we were 3 of us, and we wanted to nominate a new person.

And so we asked him if he could be the chair of the group and he told us I need time to think about it.

And he thought about it and I believe God answered our prayer and he accepted to be the chair.

So he's now the president for the LSU SCF.

So I thank God for how he's been using different people to continue his work.

Today I want to share with you about the message of how God answers prayers.

And in this case, actually, it's how God selectively answered my prayer.

You know, there are so many requests that we present before God, and there are some very important requests that we present to him when we think they are urgent and important they seem not to be in that order according to the significance of the things that he put in his schedule and So I remember this time that after my undergrad, I wanted to be in grad school and I prayed for a long time.

I tried to apply to many schools and it didn't happen.

And at this time, it's almost like I gave up and I was outside.

It was early morning, so I actually experienced a lot of challenges between my undergrad to grad school that I actually learned to do morning devotion.

And I remember this morning, instead of waking up and reading my book, I actually got outside there, my house and it was like bright, it was around 4 or 5, that's when I actually do my devotion sometimes.

So I was like outside and it was like moonlight and I'm looking up in the sky and telling God, so what now?

It's like I've tried all the means and it's not working out and it's like so what now?

And I remember that I was actually teaching in a high school then.

And I remember at some point then I got an admission to LSU out of nowhere.

I had applied, yes, but I didn't expect that I was going to get it.

And so I got this admission and it was close to my birthday and I remember that day when I wrote and you know I did share when you were in Arizona for those who are there that every birthday I like to write cards to myself.

So I actually make my own birthday cards but in it I write my prayer request for almost a year.

And I remember the title up there in the card, I said, and God remembered Abby, because I feel like he had forgotten at some time.

And so I thought that I should share that maybe sometimes God forgets.

And I remember that in the Bible there are so many verses that talk about God remembering.

Genesis chapter 30, verse 22 says that, and God remembered Rachel and God harkened to her and opened her womb.

In Genesis 8, 1, but God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were in the ark and God caused the wind to pass over the earth and water to subside.

So what is it that God chooses or how does he make decisions up to what he needs to answer and what he does not need to answer?

And today I'm going to share actually my personal life just beginning from in line of school because I've actually been in school for such a long time that yeah you know that I just mentioned that I have a defense coming up soon but I think I've been in school for a long time from the time my mom was worried that I'm having a boyfriend early in life until the time she's worried that I don't have a boyfriend now.

I remember that when I came in for the SCF, I met with Professor Ron and Tracy, and it's like I want to be excited that I see them here and they're asking me, you mean you're still here?

It's like, yeah, they didn't expect me to be here.

But Anyway, so I'm excited to get out of school, but I would like to talk to you through my education life when I was young to date.

That while we were young, actually, I have a sister.

So our parents got separated while we were young.

And I remember that we lived with our grandparents.

And while we lived there, I got to interact with my grandpa.

And I would actually, actually mention that I got to know about God during this time.

You know, grandpa would actually put me, you know, I like to play a lot.

I was a kid and I like to go and play a lot with the children but he will call me out of my playground and he's like, I need you to come and read a verse for me, but it's not in English, it's not in Swahili.

I'm from Kenya, for those who don't know, but it's actually in our native language.

It's not easy to read that, but he would put me, sit me down and ask me to read a verse.

But what was funny about that is that he knows those verses.

I'm struggling to read the words, and he's finishing them up for me.

I'm struggling to read the sentences, and he's finishing them up.

But to some time later I think maybe he wanted me to actually learn these words and pretended to be asking me to read them for him.

And so I really attribute to some of my spirituality to his guidance.

And I remember 1 time, you know, we mostly walk to school.

And I remember 1 time I was sent home to get the tuition fee.

You know here children are well taken care of so that parents have to drop them in school and they have to pick them from school.

In my country actually children leave school, leave home and go to school by themselves.

They leave school and come home by themselves.

So I remember I was sent from school to go home and get some tuition fee.

But then my mom was not in, my mom didn't live, she was living in her, like her home, but she used to teach somewhere first, So she lived away.

And of course, our dad was somewhere else, and we actually used to just visit.

But then I did not really understand the issues of separation or divorce or anything.

All I knew is that we lived with our grandparents.

We went to visit our dad, and my mom was somewhere in school.

And so when I was sent home, I remember this day I was sent home to go and get the tuition fee.

And I didn't really like to be away from school.

I really like to be in school, even though I'm saying that right now.

So I didn't want to miss even a few hours.

I actually made up a story and came back, and then went to the principal of the school and told him, actually, there's no need to send me home because actually my mom went away.

But I guess I said he died because I never saw him in my life.

But I remember that after that, I think that story was told to my grandma and she was not very nice to me.

And when I went through elementary through middle school, it was easier, like I really liked to study and so I passed my exams, but I like to play more.

By the sixth grade, I could not qualify to move to the seventh grade.

And I really cried when I was told that I had to redo sixth grade.

First, because my friends were moving along, and then I'm gonna be in class with people who I was ahead of them.

And so it's not very nice to realize that you are not advancing.

And I'm sure some of us, there are so many aspects of our lives that we experience that if you are remaining in that same spot, it's not very nice.

And actually, I will share later that that same applies to our Christian life, even though Christian life is different, but this 1, I was not happy with it.

But it later played out that when I finished 8th grade, I was supposed to move to high school.

That's when my uncle finished his undergrad and he was going to a new high school.

I happened to just be in a very nice high school just because of him.

Not that I was happy with the redoing sixth grade, but the timing worked out well that I managed to go to a very good high school just because I finished at that particular time.

So my experience in high school, I went there when I did not really, I had the lowest grades in the in the school in compared to the other students.

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Teaching at Mbiuni, Kenya Was Just a Means

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