A Little Place in Africa

Tommy recently returned from an eleven day stay in Africa. This was his second in three years.  He traveled with friend Marcus to a remote region outside Nairobi.  I hesitate to be specific regarding details due to unrest towards believers in so much of the world.
Small churches in small villages need encouragement and training.  Tommy met with a group of twenty-two pastors, each from a different area.  The humble accommodations allowed for little distractions while preparing sermons and lessons for the men, though most of his studying was done at home before the trip.

As the weekdays passed, the crowd grew in number.

Communications between us were sketchy at best.  There were times I imagined him standing on his head, holding his tongue just right while facing the moon in order to get reception so we could text or talk...mostly text.  Phone calls were few.
Still I could detect an excitement in his voice for what was taking place.  He loved teaching these men. God had given him a passion for encouraging fellow leaders in the Church.  There is nothing more joyous and fulfilling than knowing that you are performing a task that glorifies the Lord Jesus..whether you are taking on a sink full of dirty dishes or bringing the Good News to a country thousands of miles away.

Two boys peeking in the church window.

Peter, a student and Tommy

Johannes and Pastor Peter

Abel, the Director of the Kisii County Association which has 11 churches 

Just a sample of the meals Tommy enjoyed.

Above is the entrance to the men's bathroom and the bathroom itself.  I have no idea why Tommy took these pictures, but they are interesting.

 These ladies are drying beans and they wanted Tommy to take a picture.

 

 The stores above might be a cell phone shop, a doctor's office, or farm supply store.  This is town.

 The class they taught.

Maunda, Marcus, Christopher, and teacher Peter 

 Soapstone carvings

This man is a famous soap stone artist and he then carves the figures to make them stand out.

Persecution has become rampant towards Christians at home and abroad. There is a cost in presenting the Gospel in dark places...like Africa and America.  My life has never been threatened.  I have all I need and more. With no looming danger near me, how loud is my cry of Truth?  Where and when is my devotion the strongest - within church walls or in my encounters as I run errands around town?  The challenge is an obvious one.  Hungry people are looking for food.  Those with food (for the body and the soul) are filling needs when they share what they have.
Tommy's short lived visit will have lasting effects because it is the Gospel that lives on - past mortal limitations and beyond this present generation.  What are we doing that lasts forever?  This is the question we must answer.
We are grateful for the chance Tommy was given to share scripture with other pastors and laymen in a distant land.  We at home can hide under all that glitters and covers the need for something more. We must be Christ to those around us.
May the Lord Jesus pierce my heart with His convicting command to go and tell.  I live near hungry people. So do you. If we hold our tongues and fail to speak where freedom rings, what will we do when it rings no more?