the greatest story.

Please read the blog below before reading this one. 

God is so faithful.  It sounds redundant to say that so often.  But it’s true.  Forever it’s true.  Well, I asked William, who works for an NGO but could not get to work today due to the river that was nyakale lowi (flowing a lot!), if he would be willing to help me out with translating the story of Jesus today in Nataragat.  He said yes!  Before we left, I had to stop and ask God to keep my heart in the right place.  To be ready to not share, if I was doing it just to check it off the list, but also to be ready to lead someone to Christ if the Spirit stirred a heart to do believe in Him.

We started off singing some songs, and many people came to listen.  More than usual were listening intently and answering questions correctly.  They were really listening.  Some of the adults made an effort to shush the kids who were talking during the storytelling.  I drew circles and a line in the dirt depicting respectively Jesus becoming the sacrifice for sin for all people and the choice that is put before each of us…stay in our lives, living in disobedience to God, trapped under Satan’s power OR repent and begin a new life in Christ, following and being obedient to God, living in freedom under God’s power.  They were so interested, and all of them, adults and children, gathered tightly around so they could stare at the line.  I kept stepping from one side the other as I shared the differences between a life of sin headed for eternal separation from God in hell and a life under grace headed for an eternity with God in heaven. 

Afterward, several of them expressed a desire to hear more of God’s Word.  One man basically said that they need a group in that area that gathers together to hear God’s Word (aka church!) and that, because he knows I cannot keep coming there forever, the leader needs to come from one of the villages in Nataragat.  Yes!  I explained that he was right and that there were more people outside of Nataragat who needed to hear the good news of Jesus so I would have to leave this area.  And I told him that I am praying that God would raise up such a leader from among them!

And one man even attributed all the rain to God, saying that ever since you came here and prayed for rain and have been teaching God’s Word, the rains have come.  I explained that God does bring rain for He is the Creator and is All-Powerful.

I can never know the definite reasons why God does what He does, in sending the rain or having translators be elsewhere.  But it was amazing to see God get glory yesterday, as people heard the truth of Jesus, the gospel, and thanked God for the rain.  And it was a wonderful way to be reminded that the story of Jesus is my all-time favorite story to tell. 

The good news of Jesus Christ is the greatest story.

There is no better story out there. 

P.S. You should’ve seen me when I told the story….I wore lovely galoshes caked with mud and had my blue rain jacket tied around my waist.  I was a sight for sure.  But it didn’t matter.  All that mattered was that the people heard about Jesus!!!