2 Days, 5 Souls, and Many Gifts from God

Back in the middle of September, on Tuesday the 16th and Thursday the 18th, God blessed me greatly. In fact, these days have been a major highlight of our time here in Burkina, and I wanted to share them with you:

Pastor Ken Hucks of North Carolina was here to teach a seminar and to minister in the villages. As an aside, when he taught that first day of the seminar (which was about our personal spiritual life), Tracy and I felt like two parched people drinking from a refreshing fountain. We had no idea that after a couple months of only hearing sermons in French and Dagara we were so thirsty for the preaching and teaching of the Word in our own heart language. It both surprised us and blessed us!

So, in the village of Nakar, there was a 3-day youth conference held during the second week of Paster Ken's ministry here. Day 1, the preaching of the Word, with Pastor Ken as the keynote speaker. Day 2, prayer and fasting. And day 3, evangelism in the village and surrounding area. I participated in the first and last days.

After we arrived, the ministry director turned to me and asked if there was anything I had to share with the group. Well, it was an "instant-in-season-out-of-season moment for me. Actually, I should have known that if I was going to be there, then most likely I would be asked to participate in the teaching portion of that first day.

Our faithful Father helped me share that day. It was such a blessing because I got to give my testimony and encourage them to not run from the thing(s) God calls them to do. I actually began the teaching time followed by Pastor Ken and then Bro. Patrice Hien. God brought it all together beautifully, as He so faithfully does when we cry out to Him for help…which I did, needless to say. I told the youth that it was all because of Jesus that I am alive, am married, have children, was called into ministry, and now am here with my family in Africa. So that day was a gift from Him.

Skip Day 2, and fast forward to Day 3. After a time of Dagara praise and worship, the leadership taught the youth about the basics of evangelism. For many, this was their first time to evangelize door-to-door. I found out later that, along with sharing the Gospel with folks, the youth were also inviting them to come see the Jesus Film in Dagara at the church that night.


After splitting the large group up into smaller groups, all heading in different directions, our group of 12 or so headed out on foot. We walked together for a while up to a certain point and then began to break off, two by two. I was paired with Christian, my tutor.

Wow, it was amazing. I had brought a small evangecube in my pocket and was given opportunity to use it 4 times that day! We walked up to a house, were invited into the courtyard, were given chairs to sit in, and then, after some initial intros, explained why we had come and went into sharing the Gospel using the Gospel cube. Our first stop was the house of a member from the Nakar church. A good place for practice.

The woman just left of me
asked if she could become a Christian also.

At the second stop, we had about 7 or so adults and children present. There I not only got to share the Gospel through the help of Christian (I spoke in English and he in Dagara), I also was able to share my testimony. Well, God used it, and one of the women asked how she could become a Christian also! I was thrilled!!! It was the first time this had happened to me. We told the group how one becomes a Christian and then led her and 3 others to pray the sinners prayer!!!! It was an AMAZING GOD-GIFT!

The man to the far left is who said, Yes, to Jesus.

The third house, we shared again with a family, the husband came a little bit into our sharing. At the end, he also wanted to become a believer! Now, as I left the 3rd house, I just wanted to know, now what?! What is follow up like here? Have they truly had repentant faith? Are they going to go to the church now? If they have idols and fetishes, are they going to burn them? Grant it, some of these are only answered in the context of discipleship. I asked Christian some of my questions, and he said that it was the pastor's job now to do the follow up. The initial responsibility, though, lies solely in the heart of the one who said YES to Jesus. Of these 5 whom we had the opportunity to lead to Jesus, they then had to make the next step (or steps) to the church. They had to now peruse Jesus themselves. After they visited the church, the pastor would then reach out to them individually. For me who was anxious about their next steps, it was a matter of trusting God and praying that the Devil did not detour them from following Jesus.

I have never had an experience quite like that day before. Truly 2-by-2 is vital in evangelism. I found that segueing to my testimony was very effective and natural. Laying out the Gospel first using the Gospel cube as a visual aid (both for them and for me), sharing how Jesus saved me and changed my own life, and then finally asking them if they would like to turn to Jesus for salvation and turn away from their sin was an effective outline that the Lord blessed that day.

Our 4th sharing was planting or watering and not reaping. A man was walking and so we talked with him as we all walked in the same direction. At that point, he did not ask Jesus to save Him. I later on found out that his son goes to the Nakar church, but that this man has not yet taken the step to himself publicly confess Christ and change his ways. He knows that if he asks Jesus into his life, he will have to destroy his idols, and he is afraid, since he is the patriarch of his family who does the sacrifices, that if he stops the sacrifices, the spirits will kill him. It is really intense. Please pray that God opens this man's eyes to see that Jesus is infinitely greater than an idol or a deceased relative, and please pray that the Lord will use this man's son to bring him to saving faith and set him free from the bondage of his traditions and of fear.

On our way back, I timed how long we had walked away from the church and it was near 45 minutes! I had never experienced "door-to-door" like that before, and I will not soon forget the gifts God gave me in allowing me to participate in that youth conference. I realized that day that this is what it is all about. Thank you for your prayers!!!