The Great Works of God

This weekend I have richly seen the works of God!

Yesterday, Nathan and Candace took Ryan and I out to the Ngong hills just outside Nairobi. Upon reaching the peaks of the mountains, we could see the grandeur of God’s work in creation. To the east spread out before us Nairobi in the distance and little farms and shambas dotting the plain. To the west of us laid the gorgeous rift valley. The plain drops off suddenly into the rift; with its jagged rock faces and towering peaks. Standing there witnessing the beauty and power of God to create and form all of this. While this moment (which was somewhat tainted with the “cow poop” statement being repeated over and over by the Robert’s daughter…which was quite funny…but since they’re going to read this I hope not offensive to them J ) was filled with a great work of God..it is not His greatest.

This afternoon I came to grips once again with God’s greatest work. The past three weeks we have ended up at the Masai Market at the Yaya center. This market is your typical African market. All the vendors (which are quite many) lay out their merchandise in the parking lot. The whole lot is filled with carvings, boxes, clothes, and any other trinket and African whatnot that you can think of. Bartering is always required here (which I love and am sometimes ruthless in getting the price I want) and the banter back and forth is quite fun. During the past 3 weeks I have built a relationship with one of the vendors, Job. He actually only works for his bother-in-laws little shop, but he does much of the carvings. After doing some business with him and talking to him over the past couple of weeks I was beginning to get to know him. Today, my roommates and I were dropped off here and we had several hours to wait on our ride. This opportunity God provided to let me talk more with Job. As we were talking, I learned much about him…yet there was something I really was pressed to tell him. I began telling him why I was here and why I want to come back to Africa someday. The Gospel message soon followed. He sat as I began to explain to him his need, God’s provision for that need through His Son Jesus, and what he must do to accept that provision. While my witness to him was not what I would have hoped it to be upon reflecting on it and the communication between us broke down at times with language differences…I asked him if he wanted to pray and place his trust and eternal hope in Jesus. He did not hesitate much and agreed. He asked if he could pray in his own language…I was thrilled to agree. He then bowed his head and prayed one of the most beautiful prayers I have heard. Even though I could not understand it, what he was doing made it so sweet.

While I hate to be this way, I always am…especially when it comes to people in Africa. There is in African culture and extremely engrained feature to always please the other person. To say no to someone is not heard of even if the person knows full well they cannot or will not fulfill the request. This thought is full in my mind during my witness and after Job’s prayer. Especially since we have done business he may have been just trying to please me and say this prayer. Yet whether this is a genuine conversion or not is God’s business and work. My job is to make sure other people know the truth…and I believe I did that with Job to the best of my then current abilities. We are meeting again tomorrow and I am hoping to get a Swahili Bible for him to have and hopefully talk a little more with him (I will have limited time). Please join me in praying for Job and his, if not current, future conversion.

This encounter and extreme privilege reminded me the beauty of God’s truly greatest work…his sacrifice of His Son on the cross to save mankind. No matter how breathtaking creation is, or even the grandeur of our future home in heaven, nothing can compare to the beauty of the love shown to us on the cross. This is why I came to Africa…this is why I want to return. Yes, for the honor and privilege to share the extravagant news of God’s redemption of mankind to those who have never heard…but also for me. I need to be reminded again of who I am in Christ and what He did for me. I, like Job, was in desperate need of a Savior. Too often I forget or take that for granted. God wants to use this trip and my work in missions in the future to not only spread His Gospel (He is very capable of doing that without me), but to shape me more in the likeness of his Son. Who I am is way more important to God than what I do… today, I was able to take another step in the journey of ‘becoming’ by basking in the glory and appreciation for His truly greatest work!