West Africa Update, Tuesday Part 1

We are in the fifth day of our journey and our second full day in KanKan. The plan for Tuesday was to head to our first village. As we were headed to pickup one of the translators at their home in KanKan (his name is “MC”), we checked to make sure that the power steering reservoir that has been leaking a little was okay. Perry (our host missionary) noticed that it was getting harder to steer.

When we opened the hood we could see fluid over half of the engine. The reservoir was dry. Not good new for the over hour trip we had to get to the village. We have been told it is a pretty slow trip because the roads there are not that good. Obviously, we had to get the SUV fixed. So, we got to live out one of the biggest values when on mission trips, flexibility. We had to get two car loads of folks back to the other side of KanKan in one vehicle. Had to find a mechanic. Then, with all of that come up with a new plan of ministry for the day.

After the entire team made it back to the house, we split up into our teams with translators and headed out into the ‘neighborhood’ to greet people and hopefully share the story of “Creation to Christ” or our own personal testimonies. Perry headed into town to hopefully get the Land-Cruiser fixed and also connect with the Dean of the English Department and the University of KanKan to ask if we might could move our afternoon at the University from tomorrow to today.

So, we headed out to the neighborhood and three different directions for a few hours. Kelly and I went with our translator, Penda, Penda is 30, recently graduated from the University in English and has a 6 year-old son and is a beautiful lady. She is the third wife of man who leaves in Conarky. She has a interesting story. Kelly and I have been able to talk life, marriage, family, and Christ with her. She is curious about Christianity as she has heard about previously when she translated with our team that came last year. She is folk muslim, meaning that has been her culture and heritage, she has studied a little but mainly lives by what she has been told. Our conversations have revolved around the difference between Islam and Christianity, and her point of view is that we have the same God and Jesus is a prophet similar to Muhammad.

Ron and Scott, with their translator Morri, were able to sit with a large group of young men and share Christ with them and dialogue about the differences between Islam and following Jesus. They said the conversation was very polite and interesting lasting almost an hour. We also have two semester missionaries who are working with our host missionaries. Ron even got a Maninka name given by one of the young men to him, which was also that young man’s name. The semester missionaries, Matt and Rocky, are college-age and are from a partnering church in Hawaii. We are having a blast building a friendship with them. They also went out in the neighborhood today with MC their translator and were able to share the “Creation to Christ” story.

In our time in the neighborhood, Kelly and I were able to greet and talk to many Maninka people. We are trying to learn to use our limited Maninka language that we know with the people. It is very difficult and comical! The people are so polite as we try to speak to them in their language and as we stumble all over it they just smile and giggle at us, so we smile and giggle back. The Maninka are precious people with big smiles and great camaraderie. You can tell they value being good hosts. We are able to give out a few gifts  that shared Christ with the people. I was given the opportunity to pray for an elderly lady who had pain in her feet. Penda took us to her home and next to her home we met many of her neighbors. We took pictures of the women and children there and Kelly shared her story of how she became a Christ-follower to the crowd gathered there.

Now we are back at the house resting, debriefing, and eating before heading to the University to meet with some of the English Students at the University. Perry was able to go into one of the English classrooms this morning of about 120 students. He invited them back to meet with a group of Americans to practice their English this evening. When we go, our plan is to sit in groups of a handful of students with one person from each team. We will spend about an hour meeting and getting to know the students, learning about their interests, learning about their beliefs, letting them ask questions, and sharing with them our faith stories and about Christ. Hopefully, there will be enough time and students to be at the University for a couple of hours.

So, our day at the village today has been moved to tomorrow along with visiting two more villages on Thursday. Please pray that we will make it to the villages, that we will have no more mechanical issues, our health stays great, and that we will find favor with the people of the villages. We also ask you to intercede for us that as we share our faith stories, Bible stories, or the Creation to Christ story that we will see fruit. Also, pray for our translators that they will translate clearly and that their own beliefs will not be a barrier.

God is showing us many things and encouraging us along the way. My biggest learning: even in a totally different culture; Christ, His truth, and wisdom are relevant. Even here, people need the grace and truth of Jesus to find help and direction for their relationships, family, towns, future, and eternity. Even though the needs of people in Africa have a different ‘skin’ to them, they are humans in desperate need of a Savior (even when they don’t see it).