Have you ever felt like a broken record?
Repetitive, that little scratch hindering you, looping you back to the same words over and over.
I had begun to feel that way here.
But thankfully right when I was getting burnt out, Jesus changed my heart and my attitude, with one simple action.
He made me give my Bible away.
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Breakfast at 8, evangelism at 10, lunch at 1, evangelism at 3, dinner at 6, repeat.
That had been our routine for the past 3 weeks.
In and out of church vans we went, 18 of us joining some of the college students from our church to evangelize in the city.
Another day, another flyer to hand out as we talked to people and invited them to join us at church.
I was enjoying getting to know the people of Sunyani as we walked around town, on campuses and into dorm rooms, but it was definitely getting tiring.
By now I was starting to sound like a toy you wind up, repeating the same words to different faces every time you pull the string.
Hi! How are you? What is your name? Let me introduce myself. Do you have a church? We’re with Elim City. Have you heard of it? Do you know where it is? We would love for you to join us. Here are the service times. May we write your number down? May we pray for you?
Everyone here is friendly and they loved to talk to us, but we were starting to recognize the empty promises.
No matter how enthusiastically they said they would come and meet us at church, we would show up hopeful on Sunday to only see the same familiar faces.
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I met Tony on a Friday.
That morning we had gone out to evangelize in a nearby neighborhood, which had gone about the same as any morning. This time we had been turned down by a few people which was very surprising.
Discouraged, we were dropped off back at our hostel, with the promise that the vans will be back to get us after lunch again.
They’d be late of course because this is still Africa, but by now we welcomed it.
Afternoon evangelism is harder because you have already breathed in enough smog, and dirtied your one church shirt that you were asked to try to wear every day. I’d usually cheer up once we were out and talking to people, but getting to that point took some time.
That day was no different, when after lunch I found myself pulling my sweaty clothes back on and dragging myself out of my shared room to the vans I could hear rumbling outside our window.
Our youth pastor, Prince, told us we were going to a hostel that housed college students who were just starting school.
This type of evangelism I enjoyed doing more. On the streets there were times I felt rushed talking to people, as they were stopped by our church friends or because they were busy helping a customer at their stand. In the hostels though, we could go into their rooms to sit and actually hold a conversation.
Sometimes though, it ended with us leaving the hostel in an uproar as students spilled around us wanting to take pictures, speaking in Twi to their friends and laughing at us. (being laughed at was a pretty normal thing now)
As the van made its way to our destination I stared out the window at the now familiar buildings and road signs flying by.
Jesus I need your help.
It had been a long week, the days stretching as we walked and talked to what felt like all of Sunyani. I could tell we were all feeling it that day, and I needed some extra strength.
So I prayed to the One who already knew how I felt.
Jesus I’m tired, and choosing joy as we go out each day has been getting tougher. Nevertheless, Father you are here, and you want us here. Help us to not just invite people to church today, but to also speak Your name and about Your love for them. Remind us that what we are doing is not in vain.
As the vans stopped and we all spilled out, I grabbed some flyers and grouped up with Emily and Afia, a friend from Elim City.
We entered the building and all dispersed, walking up to doors to start knocking.
Afie knocked a couple times on our first door, and just as we were about to move on, it opened.
A young man stood there, holding the door partially open as he adjusted to who he was seeing in his doorway.
His name was Anthony, and he allowed us to come in as he moved things around and apologized for the mess that wasn’t there. Afie and Emily took the chairs he offered them and I sat next to him on his bed as we started to small talk.
Anthony was a little shy at first, but he eventually started to open up to us as we talked about his family and what he was doing in Sunyani. He actually wasn’t a student, but was completing his one year of service to the government that was required after graduation.
As we continued to talk I could feel that this conversation was different. Usually by now we were moving into our automated church invite and moving to the next room.
But as we sat there I knew that God was allowing this time to be much more than that.
To show me, even though He didn’t have to what, what He was capable of.
Jesus.
One word, but He knew what I was asking.
My prayer that He would keep moving in the room. That He would give us His words to speak over our new friend.
We talked about his dreams. We talked about how God knows the plans He has for us.
Afie realized they had a lot in common and was able to relate to him and some of his struggles.
Jesus.
We talked about church, about Elim City, and he mentioned he hadn’t been to church since he was little.
We asked if we could pray for him and he seemed hesitant, repeating how it had been awhile. We told him how talking to Jesus is like talking to a friend, how it was like the conversation we were having now.
We asked what he believed in and he mentioned that he believed in God, and had read the Bible awhile ago.
Jesus.
Emily asked if he had a Bible and he said he had it on his phone somewhere.
“Would you like one you could hold? You can have mine.” The words came rushng out of my mouth.
Anthony looked at me surprised that I would offer such a thing to him.
I hadn’t brought another Bible with me and I didn’t really know if I would get this one back.
But I knew for certain, that this was exactly what God wanted me to do.
It took a minute but he finally smiled and nodded, promising to give it back when he bought one.
I jumped up to get it and showed him the books I had been reading and encouraged him to read through the verses I had been underlining.
He flipped to Hebrews because he remembered the book talked about faith, and there was a verse he had memorized when he was younger.
Yes Jesus!
We talked about what faith looked liked and then I had the joy of praying over him. Praying for his family, his work, for peace in his future plans, for the ability to know how much God loved him, understanding as he reads through the Word.
I continued to pray that prayer over him days after we left, our hearts overflowing with the way God had moved.
Two days later he was at church, bible in hand.
“I promised” Tony said with a smile.
Our one sweet Ghanain friend, who followed through on a promise, giving us all hope once more.
But, I still didn’t take it back.
I continued to pray over him that week, for his work and that he was taking time to read through and study God’s word. A new found joy was there as I moved through evangelizing that week.
And that Friday when Tony came to watch us put on our concert at the church, I gave him his own bible.
Bigger than the small one I brought to easily fit into my pack, underlined scripture and notes written in, his name printed neatly inside; it was his.
I was as happy to give it to him as he was to receive it.
He promised to return mine to me again, which he did that Sunday, with his own tucked underneath his arm.
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Getting back into church is still pretty new to Tony, but I am so grateful that he continues to come and that I can be here to join him a little on this journey; as the Holy Spirit nudges him ever so gently back to Jesus.
Thank you Tony for being my reminder that I’m not on this Race for me, that when I leave Ghana in a week, that talking and getting turned down by people was all worth it. God brought me here not to see hundreds of people come to Jesus, but to build a relationship with you specifically and the heavens rejoice just as much when one comes closer to the Father. My prayer for you, is that you continue to grow in Him after we leave. That church will become a place of community to receive encouragement from other believers, and that you will walk with Him as He fills you with His love, grace and mercy.
You’re going to do great things Tony.
Now to pray over my Bible and see who needs it in Nepal.
