There we were at the corner of two dirt paths bustling with activity. The air was thick with smoke from nearby open fires and the smell of the corn and potatoes cooking upon them. Well-worn speakers blasted the sounds of Pastor Mike’s keyboard, mixed with a heavy dose of static hiss, as another pastor led chorus after chorus of praise music. A crowd began to gather. Our “open-air” had begun.
An “open-air” is an outdoor revival-style program aimed at attracting a crowd and then sharing the Gospel with them. They are very common here in Kibera, but Saturday was he first one we had been a part of. All week long, we spent our mornings preparing dramas to present during the open-air. We talked about who would introduce dramas, who would share testimonies, who would preach. And now, the time had come.
As the pastors continued their choruses, I prayed for the Holy Spirit’s touch. I asked God to be with us, in the midst of the crowd, touching hearts and bringing souls into relationship with Himself. This was the day of salvation.
After the singing, we presented our dramas interspersed with testimonies. Both dramas were original works created by fellow World Racers; one from our dear Laura, and one from Sarah Cruz of the Blue Team. Both dramas depict Jesus freeing people from various types of bondage and welcoming them into a new life with Him. Kim and Friske testified to the power of Jesus Christ in their lives, as their words were translated into Swahili by Pastor Jackson.
After all of this, I had the honor of preaching from God’s Word. My plan had been to preach from John 3, Jesus’ visit from the Pharisee Nicodemus. However, God had other plans. I started in John 3, but as soon as I touched on the necessity of being born again, I found myself launched into a bare-knuckled evangelistic plea. Propelled by the Spirit, I talked about how everything is insufficient to get us into heaven except for the blood of Jesus. I talked about how the Father stands with His arms wide open, waiting for us, desperately desiring for us, to come home to Him. I talked about the peace that comes with a relationship with Christ, and about how sin leads us to death, but God’s free gift is eternal life for those who will give their lives to His Son.
As I spoke, I felt the weight of 2 Corinthians 5:20, which says: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” The Lord was imploring these people to be saved, and He was using me to do it.
At the conclusion of my time we gave an invitation to receive Christ, which was accepted by two men. We prayed with these men and rejoiced at the great miracle of salvation along with them.
But God was not through.
As more praise music played, I looked around and noticed that nearly every one of my teammates was engrossed in conversations with people in the crowd. I prayed for them, that God would use their words for His glory. I later found out that because of these conversations, four more people put their faith in Jesus that day.
While my friends ministered to the crowd, I was involved with one of the two men who came forward. He was a little inebriated, though not what one would call drunk. He told me some of his story; how his brother had died just a couple of weeks ago, and how he had left his own neighborhood hoping to find work on the other side of Kibera. He had no job, no family, nowhere to stay. He was scared. As he spoke, his glassy, red eyes filled with tears.
I couldn’t find any words to comfort such pain. Not knowing what else to do, I embraced him and pulled his head to my chest. He wept and cried out to God for help, for relief. I prayed for him with everything in me.
After several minutes, he pulled his head away from my tear-soaked shirt. He said he had peace, and he was confident that God would provide. He also said he was glad to have become a child of God today.
It’s moments like this that make all the stress, strain, and hassle of a trip like this worth it. To see God touch a life. To grieve with someone, to comfort them with the love of Jesus Christ. To be faithful in sharing the most important message that exists in life, the message that God loves you and wants a relationship with you. That is what this trip should be about. That is what life should be about.
So, as we were wrapping up with a couple more songs and some dancing, God gave us one more surprise. A Massai man happened up out of the crowd. He had not been present for the dramas or the preaching, but he heard the music and joined in the dancing. He danced with such joy and energy. And after several minutes, he told one of the pastors that he wanted to follow Jesus. The pastor was a little surprised, but overjoyed. He explained the Gospel to the Massai man in his language and asked if he understood and wanted to receive Jesus. He said he did.
So, within moments, our group was huddled around the Massai man as he knelt on the ground and gave his life to the Lord. God won him, not through preaching, but through
rejoicing. He saw Christians rejoicing in their Savior and wanted to join them. Perhaps there’s a lesson in that for all of us.
So, after one week of ministry, we have seen at least 15 confessions of Jesus Christ as Lord. The fields are indeed ripe for harvest.
