It’s been about 3 weeks back out on the field, and man, it’s been a full 3 weeks.
The first half of the month, I was with a team in a small village named Diabo. There, we partnered with a local church in reaching out the the people in the village. This included door-to-door evangelism, skits, speaking at church, women’s events, and getting to know those that lived near us. We had some of the sweetest hosts who took care of us so well. They became like family in just the short time I was there. While there, I got to get to know the ladies on that team and walk with them as they adjusted to life on the field and community. This is a huge aspect of my role and one that I absolutely love and count as such a privilege.
Like mother, like daughter.
This 2nd half of the month, I’ve jumped into life with a 2nd team in San Pedro, a port city in the southern part of the country. Here, we’ve been evangelizing and ministering to local truckers. Cote d’lvoire plays a huge role in land travel and shipping throughout West Africa. The truckers drive their loads to these ports/stops and unload their shipment. They then wait there for anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for their next load. Each day, we go to different truck stops in the area and split into groups with translators and strike up conversations. Many of these truckers are far from home and welcome us in with great hospitality. We get to know a little bit about them and what they believe. The majority of them are Muslim. We are able to share with them the Gospel and the hope and love that Jesus offers. It can be tough with translators that are still learning and the fact that a lot of the men we talk to believe that their beliefs and Christianity are the “same same.” But we go and share as we are led and have been able to see the Lord work in incredible ways. We’ve gotten the chance to encourage Christians, pray with those men who want to accept Jesus but have reservations because of family and cultural repercussions, and we’ve often got to pray with and celebrate with men that accept the Lord right then. What an opportunity it has been to grow and stretch ourselves in a ministry that can seem uncomfortable and what a testament to the faithfulness and pursuit that the Lord shows each one of us!
Sitting and talking with the truckers
Hacky Sak games with the local kiddos
At the end of this week, I’ll get the chance to meet up with my co-leaders to rest and to plan for our upcoming debrief. It’ll be such a sweet time.
As I continue to navigate and dive into what it means to squad lead, I just sit and wonder at how far the Lord has brought me and the ways He continues to amaze me. Doing life with F squad and having the opportunity to pour into them and learning from and alongside them is incredible and I know that the Lord has so much in store for this season. What a life it is that He allows me to live!
Join me in praying for all that the Lord is doing here in the Ivory Coast and on this squad!
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