From the Field: Preaching, Babies, Door-to-Door, the African Bush (Anything But Boring)

Brian Cooke became a Christian a year ago while living in Africa. A team from the July 2010 P squad met him, ministered to him, and since then has been loving and following the Lord. He then applied for the Race and was accepted; obviously, as he’s on the October 2012 B squad! 

I accepted Christ a little over a year ago, and got baptized last month. I am learning more and more about the Lord everyday which is very exciting!! But one thing I NEVER thought I would be doing in my life…..is preach!! 

Could anyone picture ME in front of 100 people in church preaching the message?! No!! But guess what I did on Sunday…..
I spoke about redemption, encouragement and evangelism…  

I held a baby the other day. Yes, some of you understand how strange that statement might sound. It wasn’t just a baby, but it was a 2 day old baby. 

We were evangelizing in this village and we went to pray for this family. We were praying over the women in the house and after the prayer the mother handed me her 2 day old baby. She just handed [her] to me. 

I was in a bit of shock. I mean, people in America don’t just typically hand over their newborn over to a complete stranger. Also, I’m not the typical baby holding type of girl. I mean this was the youngest baby I’ve ever held besides when my sister was born. I do remember holding my baby sister. I was four and she was heavy. 

But in that moment she started to hand the baby to me, I was like no no no no. But as I just stood there it was a crazy feeling that overwhelmed me. I loved holding that little girl… 

Elizabeth Huff, on the September 2011 A squad, spent her first week in Tanzania evangelizing door-to-door (typical), but was humbled and surprised to see what happened:

I couldn’t help but think about how every person’s house we walk up to, we were sent with a specific message, specifically for them. If I have come all the way from America to share with these people in a village in Tanzania, then God obviously has given me words to say to them of life, of joy, of hope. 

God obviously has something he wants to say through me. In the first 2 days of going to this village, 3 people have accepted Jesus as their savior and demons were cast out of 3 different people.

We spent the weekend cramming ourselves into the tiniest, dirtiest bed, going to the bathroom wherever we could find a place, and groping our way through night’s darkness that absolutely dominated our headlamps.
There was no running water, no electricity, and no signs of the fact that the world had made technological advancements since the last time Jesus was on the earth. 

We walked around from hut to hut praying for people, and saw six people healed from malaria, heart palpitations, heartburn, and a plethora of other aches and pains.
We spent time with two women who had both been abandoned by their husbands — providing some much needed companionship.