I knew I had brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world, but meeting the members of my family that live here in Africa has made that truth tangible. Since arriving, my team and I have been embraced as if we were distant relatives finally getting a chance to pay a visit.
We have been greeted with open arms, smiles, parades/bands, and countless gifts of flowers, feasts, live chickens, tailored dresses, and even a live goat. We have swapped stories of God’s faithfulness, preached the gospel to each other, and worshipped our Father in song and dance.
Before we depart from a community, we are asked to take a “Family Photo” and every time it has felt like just that – a glimpse of what our heavenly family will look like, immensely diverse and colorful, overflowing with praises to the Lord!
Ministry Partnership
We have been blessed with the opportunity to minister alongside the United Methodist Church of Cote d’Ivoire (UMC) in Abidjan (the capital). It has truly been a blessing to hear the stories of God’s work in the hearts and lives of the people here. I have included a summary of the ministry opportunities we have been able to participate in, but these notes do not even begin to capture the depth and beauty of the stories God is writing in this country.
- Women’s Ministry Workshop – Topics included identity, spiritual gifts, and the role of community in our spiritual development.
- Choir Ministry – Learned and taught songs in both French/English, practiced vocal technique, and shared/heard testimonies of the ways the Lord has used music in our lives.
- “New Jerusalem” Development Project – A group of local activists/members of the Methodist Church have designed and implemented a community development program in one of the slums of the Cocody area of Abidjan. We were invited to come preach/sing at a weekly gathering there.
- Women’s Day Celebration – We were invited to UMC’s National Women’s Day celebration where national leaders spoke, shared a meal with us, and put together a demonstration of one of their economic development initiatives (a soap making company intended to employ women in the local community). We ran a short workshop/discussion. Topics included – servant leadership and vision casting, establishment/expansion of a network, and work/life balance.
- Church Planting NGO – The UMC has partnered with a local construction NGO whose sole objective is the rehabilitation and establishment of church facilities in areas without meeting spaces. “Build the churches and the people will come.” We were invited to visit multiple villages/building sites throughout Abidjan and the surrounding areas and were received with an overwhelming amount of hospitality at every location.
- Dabou Building Project – The UMC owns a parcel of land that they are utilizing to increase employment opportunities for the people of the Dabou area. We have been partnering with the UMC Youth Ministry to rebuild a farm house and chicken coupe that will be used to create a sustainable job for at least one local farmer.
- Radio Ministry – The UMC runs a radio ministry that includes a weekly program called “Youth Speaking to Youth”. Our team will be participating in a live discussion concerning missional living and what it can look like for youth coming from different contexts.
- Grand Bassam Children’s Ministry – We will be participating in a Children’s Ministry Program in the Grand Bassam area.
Host Family
(Jean-Claude, Francine, Ephraim, Berta)
We have been blessed with one of the world’s most amazing host families. Somewhere amidst the meal prepping, visiting in the living room, games of Fish Bowl, and outings to the local market, the Masuka family has found a permanent place in my heart and story.
Life
- We were given chickens by one of the villages we visited and though I couldn’t handle being part of the actual killing of the chicken, I have officially plucked my first chicken.
- I now know how to wash laundry by hand and have accumulated a very minimal assortment of French words in my vocabulary – one of which is cucumber 🙂
- Saturday I will attend my first African wedding… pictures to come!
- Our team is beginning to feel more and more like “home” as we get to know each other better. God has definitely blessed me with a group of people who are dedicated to loving each other well and I can’t wait to see all of the fruit that we will bear in each other’s lives.
Prayer
Praise
- For ALL of the ways God has provided for my team and I thus far (safety, favor in ministry, tangible provisions, etc.)
- For ALL of the ways God is alive and at work in this country.
Requests
- That I would be able to establish and maintain healthy self-care habits (getting sufficient alone time with the Lord and finding time to stay active, etc.) amidst ever changing circumstances.
- For God to continue to heal and restore the hearts of people in Abidjan and the surrounding areas.
Thank you for joining with me on this journey and in the wise words of Francine (my host mother) “Be Free”!
