He healed my cassava!

Each year that we have interns we send them out to live with a family in one of the farming villages far away from civilization and other comforts. We call this bonding and it is an important part of cultural study for any missionary.

After three or four days we go and pick them up and they are gushing with stories of various adventures that range from culinary delights to the amazing power of nonverbal communication. It is rare that anything of great significance, spiritually speaking, occurs. Most of the time everyone returns with the ‘wow, we sure are blessed as Americans’ or the ‘living simply is where it’s at’ realizations, but I can’t remember a time when they came back with a ‘WOW, God showed up!’

This year was an exception and I got to hear about it first hand. Two of our interns bonded in the Adankonou area. One stayed with Tsokemawu (forgiven by God) and the other with Jerome (kind of a bland name for a Watchi, huh?).

On Sunday we arrived to worship with them all before taking the interns home and it came time for people to share what God had recently done in their lives. Tsokemawu stood up and talked about how he had been shocked that an American really could live with their family and eat out of the same bowl and drink from the same cup. He then stated how we are all really one in Spirit. Then his wife stood up. She talked about how amazed she was at the humility of the American that stayed with them. (That is something you don’t hear every, or maybe I should say, any day.) Of course, she was amazed that he helped cook and went to the field and played with her kids. Then she stopped and said, “He even prayed for the kids when they were sick and as soon as he finished, they were well.” We sat up at this. Part of me wanted to say, “That isn’t fair, he doesn’t even speak the language.” Or maybe, “He cheated and used English!” I did inquire as to how sick they were and how well they became, and I found out that yes, they were really sick and yes, they immediately became really well and all I could say was, “Yah, Kafu Mawu daaa. Enye nusekatatato vava!!” (loosely translated as WOW!) As if that wasn’t enough, then the old man, Amekpa, stood up and said, “They went to my field of cassava that was all wilted and dying and they prayed for it and this morning I went out and it was all good and green! They healed my cassava!” This time their was no temptation for banter or discussion about the importance of working in the vernacular language, it was already out there, “They healed my cassava!”

We all said, “Wow!” The interns didn’t plan for this. We didn’t even consider it. It’s just that one intern, without speaking their language, in compassion handed things over to God that could only accomplished in Jesus’ name and amen,

it came to pass.

This kind of reminds me of some things Jesus said.

John 14:14 Whatever you ask in my name …

Faith

 

A lesson about prayer

As missionaries to the Watchi people of southern Togo, back in 1997, we were distressed by the lack of age we were seeing among the members of the various churches. The average believer seemed to be a nineteen year old male farmer. It was time to start training leaders and we knew that we needed some “old men” in the church that would provide stable leadership for the fledgling movement of Jesus.

So, we began praying for old men to want to walk with Jesus.

About a month later, dressed more like a Peace Corps volunteer than a missionary I was walking around in a new village with some men from Tabligbo. As we walked along we noticed an old man sitting beside a coffin stand, yes that is a place where several coffins are for sale roadside. This papa had also taken notice of us and did something that shocked everyone.

He said in the Eve language, “Mawu fe nutsu, va gblo nam tso Yesu nuti.” This is translated, man of God, come tell me about Jesus; and he was looking at me when he said it.

How did he know I spoke Eve? How did he know that I knew about Jesus? How? What was going on?

When I retell this story, I am amazed. I can almost smell the air and remember exactly where I was standing and what I was wearing when he called out to me like that. It was so surreal, or maybe I should say so super-real.

This man that I called Papa was completely crippled by arthritis. He was suffering greatly, yet thinking very clearly. When I later asked him why he had wanted to learn about Jesus, he told me that it was because the idols had failed him. He knew in his heart that God would not.

He did find Jesus. He was reborn in Christ and then several months later left us to be with Him.

I have always been rather attention deficit. God has had to use some special moments in my life to open my eyes. Being side swiped by an 18 wheeler and drug down the interstate against a retaining wall comes to mind. Not as dangerous, but just as poignant to me is this moment when God was wanting to encourage me to pray.

It is a lesson I am still learning.

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:14

 

Spiritual reality check

I’ll never forget our second Sunday in Togo, almost eleven years ago. We went to the small village church of Kpo Kpo Kondzi. Their building was poorly positioned between the village idol and the well. In other words, each Sunday it was the center of village ‘life’. Fights at the well usually broke out as soon as the singing began. On our first Sunday there, it lived up to its reputation,

chaos.

After walking the gauntlet of onlookers to the church building, we entered and began worshipping with our teammates, the Holland’s, and a group of about twelve young men and women. In the middle of this, our six month old son, Taylor, began crying or maybe I should say, screaming. We did all of the “American” things to do patting, feeding, walking, etc… but, to no avail.

Side note, Taylor’s infancy was so quiet and easy that we hardly remember it. He just kind of hung out from the moment he was born, as if he was saying, “everything’s cool, I’m just happy to be here.”

For him to cry in this way, was shocking to us. After about five minutes of it we were worn out and truly at a loss. Brenda, our very experienced teammate, saw what was happening through a different set of glasses, spiritual ones. She saw that this was an attack on us and an attempt to discourage us. She simply bowed her head and prayed for Taylor to be at peace.

He was,

but, we weren’t. It was a ‘we aren’t in Kansas anymore’ moment.

Since then, we have learned to pray more, and be more observant, spiritually speaking,

“Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8

Also, though, we learned,

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” I John 4:4

I guess that was our orientation class to the school of missions in Togo.

 

Living Word

One thing I love about the Bible is the way it comes to life in dramatic and very undeniable ways creating within us an experience that deepens with time and has far reaching effects.

There is a leader in Ahepe named Feli who for many years was at best a churchgoer. About six years ago, Feli became the default leader of the church in his neighborhood. He was still selling lottery tickets and riding the fence of sincerity. He wanted to believe, but just wasn’t sure if he could depend on God to really take care of his family.

About two years ago a gracious opportunity presented itself to Feli that upon giving up the lottery he would have ownership of a corn grinder and begin a new chapter.

He took it. This is equivalent to a loss of at least 50% of his income. Since then he has vaulted the fence and has really grown in his love for Jesus.

There were two “Bible come to life” events for Feli last week that really encouraged me. Two ladies had missed worship on Sunday morning. So, in the afternoon Feli went looking for them. He found them in their fields grinding and cooking cassava to sell at market on Monday. He began encouraging and working with them and before he left they sent him home with a huge bowl of roasted cassava which his family ate throughout the week. Then on Thursday, Togo’s labor day, Feli was called to a feast. Upon arriving, there were several men gathered who were decked out in their festive garments ready to eat. Feli was invited to bless the meal. After the meal was over the group requested for Feli to share a message from the Bible. He taught from Matthew chapter six about how God blesses us and takes care of all our needs if only we will seek him and his will. His message was well received and he went on his way.

It hit me as I sat with him this past Friday, how dramatically his life has changed and how even the cynical population of his village has taken note of this transformation. What happened? What made the difference? He took God at his word and God is faithful.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

 

Ablavino

Her faith has cost her. There is no peace in her home, but there is in her heart. She has suffered for her belief in Jesus. This sister, from the moment she turned her back on the idols, has been harrassed night and day from spiritual assaults of dreams and curses to physical attacks of persecution from those closest including rejection by her husband of food for her and their children. She has watched two of her oldest children die, and in the raw pain of the loss been blamed by her husband and his family for their deaths because of her worship of Jesus. The latest of these deaths came last week to her eldest child, Ablavi, for whom she is named (Ablavino means the mother of Ablavi). She is now left to care for Ablavi’s son. Ablavi’s husband abandoned her when she become sick. So, that’s where she is now, in her walk with Jesus. As we consoled her and sought to mourn with her, she, in turn, encouraged us. Out of the pain she spoke to us of how God will deliver her from the enemy’s attacks. She told us of his faithfulness and how he will never forsake her. I at times have wondered how much one can take, specifically how much she can take. Yet, with each test she grows stronger in both resolve and faith. Truly, the greater the cost, the greater the value attached. Ask Ablavino about the cost of her faith in Jesus and she will testify to you about an invaluable Savior.

 

Relief for Afii

We all struggle. The struggle of some seems out of proportion, though. Consider Afii. She is a new believer in Jesus and the mother of two. She lives in a remote village called Topeglo. She got a slight infection in her foot two years ago, that just wouldn’t go away. After treatments with medicines, those they could afford, she then sought spiritual help (prior to her belief in Jesus). She spent the equivalent of all the treatments she would have needed to cure her Madura foot (the name of the infection) on various sacrifices and ceremonies, but to no avail. In the midst of her struggle she met Jesus. Isn’t that the way it is. Madura foot and all, she was united with Him. Yet, she continued to suffer for a year afterward from this illness. Three weeks ago she was blessed with relief. She had her leg amputated mid thigh. Her suffering was relieved. She was overjoyed and has not stopped testifying daily to God’s grace in bringing her relief. Reality check for the rest of us as we “struggle” and complain. By the way, due to her testimony, attendance at her church has tripled since her return. Once more, God has used something to his glory that the enemy had designed for destruction.   Rom. 8:28