Lokwii David Update

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your many prayers for Lokwii David. When I spoke with him recently, he told me that he believed that it was sin for him to take another wife and that he now regretted his decision. He also recognized that this very public sin had brought dishonor to Christ and his church and he desired to confess his sin and ask forgiveness before the congregation. He did so on Sunday morning.

As it turned out, the parents of this second wife have taken her and given her to another man. In Karimojong culture, even when a man and woman have already begun living as husband and wife, parents retain ownership of their daughter until the dowry has been paid in full. And, generally, that does not happen for many years. So it is not uncommon for a “wife” to be reclaimed by her parents and given to a better suitor who can more quickly pay them cows. It saddens us deeply to see persons going in and out of “marriages” this way. It was not Lokwii who orchestrated this break-up. In God’s providence, however, these circumstances leave him alone now with his first wife. And we are thankful that he is promising henceforth to remain with and to be faithful to her alone.

Lokwii knows that sin brings consequences. He understands that, though we forgive completely as does Christ, we cannot simply “sweep this under the rug” and allow him to resume his work as a translator and Bible study teacher in the ministry with us.

We know that true repentance comes about by the work of the Spirit, the same Spirit which then enables us to bear fruits in keeping with repentance. Please pray that such fruits will abound in the life of our brother, Lokwii, as well as the lives of other Karimojong believers who have walked a similar path. Pray as well for us as we continue to minister to Lokwii and as we strive to faithfully proclaim and live the gospel which shines amidst the darkness.

In Christ, the Light of the World,

Dave Okken