But what I loved about Timothy was that he was such a servant.  He was technically working as one of our translators but he did so much more than that. In Buloba he walked beside me up from the well, carrying a 40 lb jerry can full of water. He dug ditches with us for the footings of the new church walls. And I mean this dude could dig…I nicknamed him “the machine”. He drove our van everywhere we went for 10 days. When we would get back home in the evenings he would stand outside and help the ladies who were cooking dinner for our team.

And then finally, on Sunday I’m sitting there in Gaba Community Church with about 500 people worshiping. I look across the room and guess who is standing there behind a video camera shooting the service? Yep…It’s Timothy.

But the thing about Timothy was that he could have easily played the “that’s not my job” card. He could have hung out at the van while we went down to the well. He could have sat off to the side while we dug ditches. He could have gone in the house and rested from a long day while others finished preparations for the meal. He could have asked others to share in the driving. He could have let someone else take care of filming the service. But he didn’t…he served.

I see Jesus in Timothy. He embodies what Paul talks about when he writes to the Philippians…

You attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant. Philippians 2:5-7

Timothy did not hold on to his rank. He was not entitled. He didn’t say “That’s not my job”. He had eyes to see needs and a heart to fill them. He took on the very nature of the one he follows and became a servant. I learned so much from Timothy. Want to be like him.

This is Mariam, a 76 year old woman who lives just across from Buloba Community Church in Uganda. After arriving in Buloba our first day she came out onto her front porch and insisted that all 10 of us come into her home for a visit. Once we were all in she made her way to the back of her home and returned with a stalk of sugar cane (the Snickers bar of Uganda).

But beyond her hospitality what makes Mariam so special is that she is unable to walk. She gets around completely by crawling on her hands and knees. It was humbling to sit while she served each of us a cut of sugar cane… chopping it up into bite size pieces like she had done it a thousand times. Then suddenly she crawled off to the back corner of the room.

A few of us looked at each other wondering what she was up to. Then we watched as she pulled back a chair that was hidden away in the corner. After getting it in just the right position she tugged at Hiram’s pants leg, instructing him to sit down. She had gone to get a chair for him so that he would not have to stand. We chewed on sugar can and laughed for about a half an hour while this saint served us. Watching this all happen was a perfect picture of what Paul talks about when he’s writing to the Philippians…

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:3-4

We have much to learn from people like Mariam.