Thursday, February 28, 2013

stories from the field


She is a princess! 

Let’s call her Princess. In these villages where we were this summer, there are many who are like her, struggling to find who they really are. Maybe victimized, stigmatized, had no proper parent figure to look at, they seek to be loved and will do anything to feel that love. We all could relate, for that is who we were, before we were rescued.

We are going to share and teach kids in her village. As we went from house to house to look for open people and invite kids to Bible class, the Lord lead me to their compound. Got to share to one of the older mothers, and got approval for the kids to attend the VBS accompanied by their guardian. Not long after, as I come in the mornings to fetch the kids hoping to follow up on any of the parents, I got sit down with Love and Princess. I shared about God’s faithfulness in my life and why we came. Princess stayed, listened and came to VBS with the little kids. She sang along, shyly participating in the discussion even repeating the memory verse with the kids. She got my number the next day and not known to her family, arranged to come to our BS in a little hut. I shared my own story of struggling with identity. She could relate. Asked questions. Then asked “Why do you believe in God?” . “I do not know”, I said. ”I believed and then I knew. Unlike what we think that ‘To see is to believe’, God is ‘believe and you will see’. I believed and I started seeing. I used to not believe Him either. But could this planet and the stars just be formed by the collision of heavenly rocks, or do just wild sweet scented flowers just normally come out of dried animal dirt?” “I do not believe Him”, she said. “I used to not believe Him either. I do not believe him yet I hated Him. But I call to him when I’m desperate and when I want my life to end. He could have just allowed me to die in my miserable situation but he did not! I believed and I started seeing.” Then, she sat in our Bible study.
We exchanged text messages. She again came to what then was our final Bible Study at the little hut. We discussed 1Timothy4 and she shared what she shared encouragement to the group. We then had our Lord’s super and simply following the instructions in the Bible and explaining that by participating in this , we affirm the Salvation that Christ did, that we had died with Him, that He is Lord and he will come again. (1Corinthians11.26) and along with the younger ones who had come to faith, Princess participated in the Lord’s supper. We said our final thanks and encouragements and walked towards the venue for TLW. Princess walked with us, helped us and stayed with us even at the visit and singing at wake, no longer embarrassed to be with us. She even went with us and the other youth to visit our first area of ministry during the summer. They joined us in visiting friends, families and open homes in the first area. We continue to exchange calls and text messages even now that we have left the area. Princess continued to meet with others who have come to faith and has expressed a strong desire to know God more and live a new life – a princess!