What does this sound like to you? Within one week, we experienced the following:

• Adam was hit by a bajaji (motorized three-wheel “taxi”), knocking him to the ground and injuring him.
• Andrew fell out of a tree, banging himself up.
• Andrew was bitten by some bug/spider which got infected, swelled to huge boil, then exploded leaving large crater.
• Adam and Andrew continue to struggle with undiagnosed stomach problems and skin problems.
• Alyssa developed a two week long case of some throat infection that kept her up at night and home from school.
• Holly was exhausted trying to care for all the patients in the “infirmary.”

What do you call that? A bad week? Yes, but more than that, when you add in power cuts, intense heat, wayward pastors, discouragement, cultural and language misunderstandings, struggles to get needed supplies from America, …etc. – what it totals up to is warfare! The thought I’d like to share today is that warfare doesn’t only strike us, but also our families. One of the best ways the enemy can take us out of commission is to heap the warfare on our family members, thus distracting, discouraging and disabling us.

I’ve recently met with some key leaders and pastors in Zanzibar, and as they commit to participating in the trainings I will do, I warn them that the enemy will attack them AND their families. A pastor friend of mine once warned me to take extra precaution as a pastor with who watches your kids, for the enemy can quickly destroy you emotionally through an episode of sexual abuse of one of your children. Tragically it happens all too often. In Eph.6 and 2 Cor.10, among other places, God makes it clear that our fight is of a spiritual and mental nature, and emotions are wound all around both. When my family is hurting, I can quickly begin asking questions indicating a weakness of faith: “Is missions really worth it? Did I make a mistake bringing my family here?” Yet returning to God’s truth, watching Christ stay the course despite the pain his family and those close to him went through and would go through, steeles our resolve to stay on target. By His grace and in His strength, we press on!

So let us pray, friends, for our family members, and the family members of those in spiritual leadership, who are undoubtedly under attack. Be on your guard! Be alert! Our enemy is prowling. But greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Pressing on, Eric