Deliverance
Church Southlands
“Has not God chosen those who are
poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he
promised those who love him?” James 2:5
My team and I this month are partnering with a small church that
was planted near Kibera slum-one of the largest slums in Kenya. The first day
of ministry, my teammate, Gina, and I went walking through the slums to just
talk with people and share about how God has impacted our lives. I never really
understood what it looked like to live in a slum… until that day. As my teammate
and I were walking and meeting people, my heart was struck by some of the
conditions people live in. There is just extreme poverty. And then my teammate,
Gina, proposed an interesting thought. She said that the grounds we were
walking on were probably very similar to the grounds that Jesus walked on. In
Israel, people lived simply and in very basic conditions…very similar to
Kibera.
It was hard
for me to know what to say to people living in such poverty. But as I spoke,
God just kept telling me to tell them about His perfect love and how he stays
the same regardless of circumstance. It was amazing to me how joyous and
welcoming the people were towards us despite their living conditions. Towards
the end of our day, we ventured down one section of the slums that felt a bit
different…it just gave off an oppressed vibe. One woman began talking with us
and told me “I’m proud to be seen with you.” Her name was Judy and she had been
drinking, but something felt different about her. She followed Gina and I all
the way back to the church and I could tell she was craving something more. We
had prayer for an hour after ministering in the slums and Judy sat quietly in
the corner the whole time. She looked so sad, but I could see that she was
eagerly listening to everyone pray. At the end of the hour, Pastor Joseph asked
Gina and me to pray with her. She told us a little in broken English how she
once followed Christ but got caught up in drugs and alcohol. She now wanted to
re-dedicate her life to Jesus and seemed so broken hearted that she had strayed
for so long. After we prayed, tears filled her face and she just kept repeating
“God is good.” It was an amazing thing to witness…
God used us
that day to touch someone’s life. All we had to do was be willing. I pray that
for you as well this week. Just be open to a nudge from God…even when you feel inadequate or tired. Just go for it and talk to someone. BWANA ASIFIWE=Praise the Lord!
