We crossed another border…purchased another visa…entered another country…
and the landscape transformed before us.
The color, jewelery, robes and mystic of the Maasai tribe adorned the land. Giraffes grazed in the forefront while the mountains painted themselves against the backdrop.
Welcome to Tanzania — Month 8 — final month in Africa.
I served this month alongside local churches in Morogoro, Tanzania. Door-to-door evangelism, preaching, singing and African dancing!!
Door-to-door evangelism is not something I was comfortable with when I began the race…but it has quickly become our lifestyle. In Africa, it’s different than you might imagine in America. You are greeted with a friendly smile, invited in, and offered tea. You learn about their life, tell them about yours – and when you feel led – tell them about Jesus. Amazing stories unfold. One of my favorites recently is when Shannon witnessed to a Muslim and over the course of the next few days, watched God literally transform him. I’ve often wondered what it must be like for a Muslim to convert to the body of Christ.
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah sets up a standoff between the prophets of Baal and the Lord. In verse 21-24 “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”…”Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire – he is God.” The long and short of it is that calling on Baal produced no results, while calling on the Lord brought fire.
God answered.
After the Muslim man left Shannon’s presence, he knew there was truth in what she had said. Later that night, in the privacy of his own home, he called out to the Lord and dedicated his life to Christ. Then he began praying that he would see Shannon again to discuss his faith, however his phone stopped working the day after they met. But he continued to pray. One day he had voiced this prayer, Shannon heard God tell her to get off of the dolla-dolla (public transport van) she was boarding. Questioning God’s motives, she did not understand His plans – but obediently followed. With an unknown agenda, she decided to walk towards an Internet cafe in town since writing her sister had been on her heart. On the way – she ran into the previously Muslim man. They had a joyous reunion and she encouraged him in his new faith. “I’ve never had my prayers answered like this.” he declared.
