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Allow me to start by saying that God is a life Ruiner. He ruins people’s lives. This past month, the squad spent a lot of time and energy planning out a soccer tournament. Our goal was to organize a tournament in the village we are near (Senga Bay), and use that tournament as a platform to share the gospel via the Living Ball. We planned everything out to the letter, and we’re super excited. But when we showed up to the field, everything was somber. Silence dominated the soccer pitch. It was as if the entire vIllage had disappeared. There had been a death in the village. And in Malawian culture, funerals are huge. For 24 hours after death, the entire village, and sometimes surrounding villages, are silent. The only noise is the local church for singing worship music and the quiet whisper of resurrection prayers. The silence is so the family may hear if the deceased should awaken and speak. Representatives from every family in the area code and sit on the ground outside the f amily house all day, with no food or water. They sit there, in silence, and share in grief. It’s theway this culture shows respect for the deceased and family. For 24 hours they grieve, morn and worship. But as soon as that time is up, the body is placed in a coffin and walked to the grave site by family and friends. At this point ask the mourners follow the coffin singing and dancing, and as soon as the first spell of dirt his the coffin, morning must end. So obviously, with this sort of funeral culture, our precious tournament was postponed, which necessarily meant or opportunity to share the gospel with a predominately Muslim community was also postponed. And I wont pretend to be Holy, I was not excited that so much work and anticipation got kicked to the sideline, if you’ll pardon the pun. But then I chose to accompany my team in being our ministry–contact and squad–or family’s representative at the funeral. I sat for hours in the sand. I literally got ants in my pants, and the backs of my hand got sunburned. But it was so worth it. Multiple locals asked how we knew about the funeral, and we told them about the tournament and how it had been postponed out of respect for the funeral. And men and women were filled by our actions. So much so that they became horribly curious about our soccer tournament. Many teams signed up after seeing our respect.
And a week later, many came to know jesus at the tournament. But I think the funeral was severe ministry happened. That’s where we really reached the people. Our respect and willingness to carry the burdens of others–or ability to weep when others weep, mourn when they mourn, and rejoice when they rejoice–that’s what impressed the community. Not our well organized, planned and structured tournament. It’s the unexpected things, the inconvenient things in our lives that God so often uses to ruin or days in the best, most beautiful way. It was through a funeral that this community saw the Christ within us. It was through day that they came to find life. And it was the most inconvenient thing to happen to meall month. It ruined my plans more than anything else this month, and that’s saying something, because it was Africa. But it was the most beautiful funeral I have ever seen. And the most fruitful. Church, I implore you, let God ruin your day, week, month, year, and even life. Be willing to see death and get to life. Don’t take inconveniences for granted.
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