The last three months of the World Race have been insane. My, squad, my team, and I have battled malaria, parasites, infections, and diseases we have never heard of, but God has shown us so much. He has shown us that in our weaknesses He has made us strong. In our weakness He met us and helped us not just endure our time, but thrive. We had the privilege of watching Him change lives and make Himself known in a place that is shrouded in darkness.
Over the last three months my ministry was evangelism. In Cote d’Ivoire, animism (traditional religions) and Islam rule over this place. There is a palpable darkness that hovers heavily over this country. People live in fear of unknown spirits or a god that demands they meet an unreachable set of standards. It is a place where people have never heard the name of Jesus and we had the opportunity to tell them how much they are loved and what God did for them. We partnered with a ministry that goes into the ports and shares the Gospel with truck drivers from all over West Africa. The routes they drive are how most goods are transported across the continent and they are credited with spreading AIDs throughout Africa.
God is redeeming this story and it’s now through them that Jesus is being shared. In out month there we saw hundreds of men give their lives to Christ and they were given audio Bibles in their own languages to listen to while they drive. It is the hope and prayer that they will continue to encounter the Father and share what they have learned with those they meet. When they say goodbye to us, they are regularly checked in on and God has grown this ministry so these men have teams that continue to pour into them and disciple them along their routes.
In Ghana, things looked a little different. People know the name of Jesus, but they have no idea what having a relationship with Him looks like. Here we were able to build relationships with people we met and spend time with them exactly where they are at. It became so evident how hungry they were for the Word and that they were seeking truth. We were able to sit with people and encourage them to search scripture and ask God for His truth to combat the lies they have been told.
One of the women we met was named Jane. She owned a beauty shop and we would sit with her and answer questions while she helped her clients. She is an amazing woman with a heart for people. She loves to worship and is full of questions. Over the course of two months we saw an incredible change in her. She walked with confidence in her salvation. She was beginning to understand how much she is loved and the calling God has put on her life. On our last day together we worshipped together and she prayed over us. It was such a sweet way to end our time in Ghana and a glimpse of the fruit produced during our time there.
It would be easy for me to sit here and tell you how hard my time in Africa was, but that isn’t what I want you to know. I want you to know how much God is moving in a place where life isn’t just hard, but at times unbearable. I had malaria three times, a round of parasites, and an infection they couldn’t pinpoint. But, I’m not going to boast in what God brought me through. I’m going to boast in a God that is so much bigger than all of that. His heart for these people is unfathomable and I am so blessed to have been a part of the work going on there.
Here are some of the beautiful souls we had the privilege of meeting.
Thomas. He loves to pray and sing. We may not speak the same language, but we serve a God who is so much bigger than that. He has so much joy and he can’t see well, but he sees Jesus so clearly.
Jane. Our sweet singing sister.
Singing outside of Jane’s beauty shop.
Jennifer. This beautiful girl has experienced so much pain in her young life. It is my prayer that she will continue to learn how incredibly loved she is by the Father.
Ebenezer, Augustin, Everus. We met these three brothers who had been hurt by the church. We spent hours with them answering questions they had and challenging them to seek the Father. All three accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
This is Freddy. He is 5 years old and didn’t say a word. But, seriously, how cute is this little guy?!
This is one of the schools we were invited into. We were able to freely walk into these classrooms and share the love of Jesus with these precious little ones.
My new team: The C.R.E.W. with our wonderful translator, Maybel. (New blog coming soon about these awesome ladies.)
Please keep the people of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana in your prayers. Pray that God’s truth would radiate over the lies they have been told. Pray that the people of West Africa would know how much they are loved and pursued by the Father. Pray that the seeds that have been planted would flourish into lives seeking after Christ. Pray for revival in a place hungry for truth and desperate for hope.
