Our day began by splitting our team up into two groups, teaching English, and door to door evangelism. Maria, Julia, and I volunteered to go door to door with Pastor Fred. The Lord orchestrated some wonderful conversations with neighbors and strangers on the street. The first home we went to, we spoke with a mother whose husband is being released from prison in a few months. She told us about how deep down, she wanted to know God. She had never made that choice until today. What a blessing to witness someone who steps out in faith, receiving the free gift that Jesus has given us.
We continued talking to people along the road, going into a few homes. Pastor Fred then turned down a corner that was shaded by banana leaves and red dirt beneath our feet. We came to a house with women hanging laundry and sweeping their yard. Within a few minutes, we learned that these women were believers. They generously invited us into their home and we began to encourage them about things the Lord was teaching us. After praying with a mother and her daughters, their neighbor who was with us invited our group into her home. She was generous and began to share her testimony.
As she began her story, she asked us if we were aware of Rwanda’s history. We knew exactly the history she was referring to. The Rwandan Genocide. As we began to nod, she started to explain that she lost the love of her life during that war. The father to her children and her best friend of many years. She was so angry with God and ran far from him. She became an alcoholic, had no money to send her children to school, and was ready to give up. During this time, she felt the spirit of the Lord tell her that better things would come. The Lord was with her in every season, never abandoning her even when she felt like she couldn’t see or feel him. As we sat in her home, she explained that the Lord fulfilled the promises that he would whisper to her all those years.
Take time to listen to those around you. Family, Friends, and even strangers. We all have a story. God pursues each of us in a unique, beautiful way. Find someone today and ask them their story. Don’t look at your phone every five minutes, don’t make an excuse, just listen. It is a gift.
