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Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

We just said good-bye to the last of the ladies group that was here. It was sad to see them leave—Rachel and I have truly enjoyed the fellowship. It was fun having them here and the time went by very quickly. I think they all enjoyed their time here and hopefully learned some things that will be of help to them in the future.

In a few weeks, we will have to say good-bye to Rachel and Sam as they head back to America to life. Rachel’s final appeal was denied, so she has no choice but to leave. Samuel has decided that it is time for him to come back also so he can finish with Bible Institute and hopefully earn a little money. We will miss them both very, very much. They have been a very active part of the ministry here and very involved in the work.

Stand By Your Man, Part Two

Last month we began to look at ways that you as a wife can help your husband succeed in the ministry. We looked at pleasing him and not possessing him. We want to continue with that theme this issue and look at another area in which you as a wife can help your husband.

Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Greetings from Botswana! I can tell that winter is almost here. The days are much shorter now. The last few days have not gotten as warm, and the nights are dipping down to around 4 degrees Celsius. For all you Americans, that is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. So the house is cool and doesn’t warm up much during the day. We dress in layers in the morning, and then take off layers as it warms up a bit or if we go outside.

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Stand By Your Man

Every man that has been called into full-time Christian service needs 3 things if he is going to be successful in that ministry: a vital relationship with the Lord, a conclusive call to the ministry, and a joyous and satisfying marriage. Therefore, as his wife, your husband is your biggest ministry. You are his wife. You do yourself a magnificent favor when you get your focus off of yourself, and instead do all you can to multiply your husband’s fulfillment in ministry. Here are some pointers on how to help your husband who is in the ministry.

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Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Wow, so much has been happening lately, I am not sure where to start. They say time flies when you are having fun—so we must be having lots of fun! I can honestly say that we are enjoying our time here and are keeping busy doing the work that God has called us to do.

Expectations, Pt 3

So how do we handle expectations? There are definitely some wrong ways to handle them. A wife may passively comply with what is expected of her, trying to meet everyone’s expectations, no matter how unrealistic. But underneath, that woman will have an inner rage that shows up in her relationship with her husband and her children, and in her relationships at church. She is a ticking time bomb.

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Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Greetings from Botswana and Happy New Year to each of you—oops, I guess I am a month late already. It is hard to believe that January has already flown by! I hope you had a good holiday season and are now busy serving the Lord in this New Year. When I was a kid, I could never imagine living past the year 2000 and here we are at 2012 already. For those of you who are wondering if the world is going to end this year because the Mayan calendar predicts it, just put your mind at ease. I can say with assurance that we have at least 7 more years until the world ends—and that is only if the Lord comes back in the rapture this year and takes all those who are saved home to heaven. So just keep your eyes on the Lord and stay busy doing what He has called you to do!

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Expectations, Part 2

We started looking in the last issue at the subject of expectations. This month we want to continue with that subject, and consider where expectations come from.

Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Greetings from Botswana! It is a beautiful COOL cloudy day with the promise of rain in the forecast. We have enjoyed about a week of delightfully cooler days and lots of rain showers. On our trip to the village yesterday, I noticed that there is a little water in the riverbeds—a very unusual sight. The rains have started early this year, so we are hoping that is a good sign and will mean lots of cool days and lots of rain.

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Expectations: A Blessing or a Curse

I have spoken to many pastor’s wives all over the country, and there is a common problem that comes up often. This problem can basically be defined as expectations—what others expect of you compared to what you realistically can do and be.

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Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Greetings from dry and dusty Botswana! It has been interesting learning to live in a desert climate. Since our last rainfall was in March, and grass is a rare commodity in this country, dust prevails everywhere. The slightest little breeze stirs up the dust and dirt. Just the dogs walking through the yard sends up clouds of dirt. And when they play and run and fight, it looks like a dust storm in our yard. The other night we had a wind storm and it actually sounded like ice was hitting the windows—but it was just dirt and sand.

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Our Enemy

If your husband is in full-time service in some capacity, whether it be a pastor, assistant pastor, teaching in a Christian school, a missionary, etc., you can be sure of one thing—the devil does not like it and his desire is to destroy your ministry. This is also true for any Christian, no matter what kind of occupation you have. If you and your husband are trying to live for the Lord and serve Him with your life, the devil does not like it and he will do everything in his power to disrupt and destroy your life. Since this column is especially written for those who are serving in full-time Christian service, that is where I want to put my emphasis. But many of these truths apply to the lay person as well. Satan is your enemy—and his desire is to make you fall.

Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Much has happened since our last update. We have seen the Lord’s hand at work in the village of Makobo. This is a village about 30 KM outside of Francistown where we have been teaching every Sunday for about 5 months. This group of people had many false beliefs—including animal sacrifices and ancestor worship—so we had to go slow and make sure they understood the truth of God’s Word about salvation. What a blessing it was a few weeks ago to see eight precious people, all adults, bow the knee on a cold concrete floor and call out to the Lord to save them! The next week on Sunday 4 more adults were saved. Please continue to pray for this group of people.

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Help! My husband is in the ministry! What am I supposed to do?

I have been asked that question several times over the years. Many women do not know what is even expected of them if their husband is in full-time Christian service. The wife is often told that she has the potential to make or break her husband’s ministry, but there is no formal training for her as a pastor’s wife. A pastor will go to school for 3 or 4 years, and some even longer, but many pastor’s wives have not even had the chance to finish college. Very few have any Bible training at all.

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Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Shortly after moving here, my husband and I were looking for a place to go walking each day. There is a private school right down the road from us, so we talked to the headmaster and got permission to walk on their soccer field. School starts at 7 AM so when we go walking, we must start around 6 AM. One morning early we were out walking and suddenly we heard a trumpet playing. A rousing trumpet song is not something you expect to hear anywhere at 6 AM, but especially not in Africa

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Called By God?

There is a question that has been debated for years in theological circles. That is the question of whether the minister’s wife should feel a divine call from God. On one side you have those who say that unless the wife receives a special call from God, she will never be able to stand up under the stresses and strains of the ministry. Others say that if a woman is being led of the Lord to marry a minister, and is willing to make the necessary sacrifices cheerfully, and take on the many extra burdens of being married to a minister for the Lord’s sake, then she can consider that a leading into the Lord’s work.

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Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

Many things have happened since our last update. I would love to tell you everything, but I shall limit myself to 3 cultural experiences.

The first and biggest cultural experience was my husband’s case of malaria. When he woke up on Monday morning complaining about a severe headache, muscle pain, joint pain so severe he could hardly walk, chills, fever, and feeling very tired, my nurse’s brain immediately thought, “Malaria.”

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Just Be You!

What does a “minister’s wife” look like? Well, they come in all sizes, shapes, and styles. Some are tall, some are short, some are skinny, and some are more round. They also come in all varieties. Some are outgoing and boisterous, others are more reserved. Some are the life of the party, but others enjoy being more in the background. Some are out front leading the troops in the charge, while others work behind the scenes. Some like to wear their hair long; others prefer a more short variety. Some like to wear classy clothes; others tend to like the country look.

Beverly Hammett – Streams in the Desert

The phrase used at the end of verse 6, streams in the desert—also the title which I have chosen for these updates—is a powerful word picture. A desert is a barren wilderness, a place where water is very scarce. But a stream in the desert brings life. Along the stream will be trees, grass, and other forms of vegetation that normally would not be seen in the desert—and many different kinds of animals and birds.

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Heart to Heart – A New Column For Women in Ministry

Way back in September, when all the writers for the Grace and Honor met together, one of the topics of discussion was about new columns that we could start to make our publication more interesting and to appeal to more ladies. One that was suggested was a column for preacher and missionary wives, discussing different elements of life in the ministry. Our fearless editor laughingly remarked that I would be a good candidate to author that column, considering I was the oldest in the group and had the most experience in this area.