We had not been on the road very long…about an hour and a half. The rental vehicle that was traveling with us, overheated and was unable to continue with us. We were stranded (our perspective) or purposefully stopped (G0d’s perspective) in a v1llage called T1ng0le for a few hours while we waited on a replacement vehicle. There was an older woman sitting on the roadside under a tree with a young child in her lap. We didn’t stand long before she had some children bring us some chairs to sit down with her. I love that about this culture…all are welcome at any time to sit, greet, and enjoy a few minutes(or hours) together. We greeted and talked for a bit. More women gathered on their way back from a B@mb@ra language class. These women were learning to read their language through a class being taught by Chr!st!ans.
We began telling them a story from G0d’s word and talking with them about it. They loved the story but were not yet ready to f0ll0w J.s.s. They responded, “We are waiting on the chief and men to lead us”. The team shared testimony about how their decision to f0ll0w J.s.s is a personal decision…how they could not f0ll0w because of someone else. The women listened and asked if we would come back to tell them more stories. They liked the stories and hearing about J.s.s. We promised we would stop and greet them. In my heart, I felt a tug from our Father to come back and spend time with them. We travel through this v1llage every time we journey to our people, and stopping to spend a few hours with them is doable.
On our return from the v1llage, C@therine, J0ke, and I stopped to greet the family we had spent time with while purposefully stopped. We were welcomed in the midst of their surprise to see us. We just greeted not staying long since they were heavy into preparing dinner and we needed to get to B@m@ko before dark. During this visit we met a new woman. An elderly woman who was working shea nuts and preparing them to make shea butter. After greeting each of them, we made our way back home.
The amazing part happened after our return to B@m@ko. We were sitting on the street with O and her mom visiting after our travels. We told them about the stop we had to make in T1ng0le because of the car troubles. O’s mom said, ” I know T1ng0le. My older brother’s wife lives there. Sometimes I and spend the day with her there.” Her brother is dead, so she goes to spend time with her sister in law. Through the conversation, we discovered that the elderly woman working shea nuts was the sister in law of Sano, O’s mom. At that moment, my mind just stopped as I considered the continued connection G0d is making with us and this family. First, Oma was my driver, then O became our language and culture teacher in B@m@ko, Sano sits with us as we work and sell peanuts, and now her sister in law in a v1llage an hour and a half away stays with the family that our Father has opened a door for telling His story. Give thanks to Him today and give pr@ise for the way He connects people for His plan and His purpose of making Himself known among all peoples.
Pr@y for us as we plan to take Sano with us to T1ng0le to visit and demonstrate the love of J.s.s to this family as well as share more of His story with them.
Pr@y for Father to bring s@lvation to this family and other families in the v1llage of T1ng0le.