I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. - Nehemiah 2:18
Nehemiah wanted to do something about this situation. He challenged the people about the state of the wall and encouraged them to rebuild it. They responded by saying, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to do this good work (Neh. 2:18).
Nehemiah answered those who criticised and mocked their cause, proclaiming, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us, therefore, we His servants will arise and build.”
It was an enormous task to build the wall, which was 1.5 miles long and 8 feet thick!
Some people moved to work on certain sections of the wall, but many built right in front of their houses. There were goldsmiths, perfumers, priests and many other people not accustomed to building, but with the heart and vision for a completed wall to protect their vulnerable people, they all wanted to do their part. (Nehemiah 2:18-3)
The Hands at Work model focuses on empowering the local church in Africa to take ownership of caring for the most vulnerable in their communities. Christ is the foundation of the Church and all that we are and all we do as Hands at Work. It is from this position that the local volunteer Care Workers support the most vulnerable, with all the layers of Hands at Work providing scaffolding around this vision.
Pray for each person caring for the most vulnerable, in each layer, that they will continue to grow in their understanding of what it means to serve. Pray that they will stand firm in the face of opposition.