Finally managed to overcome the jet lag, just in time for ministry to start.
Surprise! We were told we’d be gone for a week. So we repacked our bags, bought some staple food to hold us over and off we went. Traveling around the country to villages as far as 2 hours away from our host’s home.
We visited churches in villages our host had recently planted and other villages where he has hopes of planting.
Most of these villages have never seen a white skinned person before.
The progression once seen consists something along the lines of stares, then big eyes, then smiles, or seriously concerned looks. Kids start running towards us as the adults hold their ground.
His ministry consists of an evangelical event held after dark.They plant a huge white screen attached to two big tree limbs into the ground. Then hook up two massive speakers, organize their make shift sound board, and set out the chairs. All of this to show a movie at the start of the event to gain interest in the community.
When the music starts, the people start coming. At this time, our team is off at a locals home having dinner because it is part of the culture to welcome important guests of the village with a meal. After the meal, the crowd has gathered and we roll in. Six world racers and Jaques, our host.
Over the course of the week we visited 2 churches and held 6 events, in 6 different villages.
Here’s a recap of the week:
- Our first Sunday was 2 church services, and 5 hours of praise and worship before noon!
- Due to an impromptu request to sing our own worship music during the first event- countless renditions of Since Your Love, This Is Living Now, and I’m Free by the Planetshakers have been shared!
- We slept in a total of 3 places
- We ate dinner from a different table every night. (Dinner usually consisting of rice, yams, plantains, and a meat sauce.)
- We hosted our events in the middle of a road, middle of a field, in someone’s backyard and one even right next to a bar. (All of these events running past 11 pm)
- We prayed over people, families, houses, and villages.
- We watched demons manifest themselves and people be delivered from them.
- We squealed over numerous baby pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens.
- We used a generator to power one string of lights to illuminate villages that have absolutely no electricity.
AND for the grand FINALE!
- we got to share the gospel with hundreds of people and over 30 gave their life to Christ: A boy, whose father is a Muslim and is unsure how he will react, men whose families have yearned for the day they’d surrender it all, and an elderly woman, blind, with little hope
And one of the coolest things about all of this is that we don’t just leave them to figure the rest out on their own. God didn’t design it that way. He’s a big fan of this thing called discipleship. So as soon as someone is saved, Jaques gets their name and information and he sets up a meeting with the local pastor/leader of the village to follow up with both parties. This ensures that they are taken care of after the decision they make!
Stay tuned for more details of everything happening in Côte d’Ivoire!!
XOXO
Tay
