Walking down the street mid afternoon, we witness a fight break out. Screaming, kids gathering, a younger looking boy runs out with a piece of wood and hits this girl over the head with it. She starts crying and runs down the streetC suddenly the amount of people doubled in population. Michaela and I stopped in our tracks in awe of what we just saw, we start praying while watching trying to figure out what’s happening down the street where the girl started to run and many followed behind her. The young boy made eye contact with us and sat back down at the corner liquor stand.
By this point I’m furious. “How could he do this? That poor girl! What the heck just happened?”
But it’s probably wise that we don’t go down the street to see what more is happening. We went and got one of the gate keepers but by the time we got him and returned everyone had scattered and gone back to normal.
We start telling pastor the story of what happened. Pastor gives us some in site about the guys that hang out at the liquor stand. First it’s illegal to sell liquor on the side of the road. Second they are all criminals according to pastor. Everything from stealing phones from the people we work with to beating up and old man that we met last week and had to go to the hospital.
I can still feel my blood boiling from what I just saw. Thank goodness for a great teammate like Michaela because after we were educated a little bit more about who they were and how dangerous they are, she suggests we share the gospel with them! Don’t worry, we asked permission first then took our friend love mo with us. We covered the situation we were getting ready to walk into with lots of prayer, strapped on the armor of Christ and headed out.
About 10 men, one being the younger boy from the fight, a liquor stand, 2 white girls that stick out like a sore thumb (us) and our trusted side kick love mo. We began to build a relationship with them, get to know them a little bit. In our discovery we find out most are Roman Catholic, one Jehovah witness and one Muslim. The Holy Spirit started speaking through us telling them that they are men of influence and can influence their community and don’t have to find their worth in selling alcohol on the street.
By the end of our conversation, we had invited them to bible study that was happening in an hour.
They came. These so called “criminals” came to bible study. And of course because God is a god with a sense of humor, the message was on judgment in romans 2. Talk about conviction! Two hours earlier to this I was judging that boy, letting my flesh be so angry with him, seeing him through my eyes and not through Gods, along with the 9 at that stand.
Last but not least we find out they are a gang. I laughed even more because it brought me right back to LA, and sharing the gospel with bloods,crips and pimps. Why was it easy then to not judge those I had met in the city in the states who have done the same as these men I met last night in Zambia, Africa?
All of that to say, God showed me how to love these men and they are coming to church Sunday!
Don’t judge, God already has that handled. Build a relationship first before sharing the gospel. And when you share, share it because you care about where they will spend eternity, not for numbers.
Dear guys of the liquor stand gang, thank you for coming last night. God loves you so more then “a drink that makes you feel funny” (they told us they weren’t selling alcohol but a drink that makes you feel funny haha)
-your new friend Brooke, see you Sunday!
