When you fly into Africa, you see nothing of what you expect. There are no giraffes roaming the planes, but a regular airport. For the past two months I have been assigned ministry in the capital cities. Sometimes it’s almost hard to believe I am in Africa.
But then we go to the villages to evangelize. When you walk into the village one of the first things to make an impression on me was the road. It’s a dirt road and whenever the wind blows it turns into a dust storm. But when you take a closer look you can see tire tracks from cars and bikes. Shoe prints and paw prints in all shapes and sizes. And footprints. The outlines of tiny feet and toes pierce my heart every time. Along the sides, and sometimes covering the whole path, is garbage. Paper, wrappers, plastic, shards of glass, ashes everywhere. Most of the roads are not marked and often you have to walk through someone’s yard to get where you are going. Clothes lines are strung up all over and children run and play everywhere.
It is on these roads and in these villages where I have met countless people. We have been invited into homes, shared meals, exchanged handshakes and hugs. Last week my teammate, Laura, and I were walking through a village with our translator, Timothy. We came up to a house where some women were sitting out front. We asked them if we could talk for a few minutes and they seemed to reluctantly say yes. As we began to talk only one of the three women seemed to be listening. We told them the story of the prodigal son. I shared some of my testimony, when I walked away and and how I was worried I wasn’t good enough to come back to God. After we talked and shared one woman looked up and said, “I need to accept Jesus.” She invited us into her home and told us she had been a Muslim. But, after we told her about Jesus, she wanted a new life with Him. We talked to her about the gospel and she accepted Christ that day. After we prayed with her she began weeping with joy.
This is why I am here. This is why I left my home for 11 months. God is so good and He is moving here in Africa.
