Reach the World

North Africa Trip – Update 1

We arrived at our destination and met up with our friends on Sunday afternoon.  The trip here was really pretty uneventful, which isn’t always the case.  All of our bags and supplies even made it here without getting lost.  We spent the rest of the day hanging out with our friends and their family.  There was even enough time to go outside and play a little baseball – sandlot style! 

Sunday we started early and drove to a village about two and a half hours away to meet with some fellow believers.  While we were meeting at one of our brother’s houses, they broke out some musical instruments and played some worship music.  It was pretty amazing.  We have a link here that gives you a sample of the music they were playing.  It is a little hard to make out the lyrics to the song but they are saying:  “Believe in God and he will save you….where your treasure is there your heart will be also”.

After spending some time visiting and singing we went to have lunch together.  One of our brothers brought his five year old son with him to our meeting.  At lunch there was a nearby playground that he was able to go and play on.  This was the first time he had ever even seen a playground – they are from a very impoverished village.  He was beyond thrilled.  We drove by the playground several more times that day and his eyes would light up as he pointed at the playground.

Once we finished lunch we went to another believer’s home in a village not far from where we were.  There we walked in to a very modest home and gathered in the back room to begin our meeting.  There were about nine of us altogether.  Craig and I started things off by sharing our testimonies.  They were eager to hear and said that we were sent there to encourage them by sharing.  It was getting pretty hot in the back room where we were meeting so we decided to move outside in a little garden area by the house.  Once we resettled, the local believers started sharing their testimonies.  What happened next can only be described as amazing!

We sat there in awe as we listened to these brothers tell us of the persecution they have faced on their journey to becoming believers.   One brother spoke of a life filled with drinking and women. He knew deep down that this life style was wrong and began to search for the truth.  He traveled to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage called the Hajj that “good” Muslims are required to do.  He performed all of the sacred ritualistic tasks that they are called upon to perform.  He chanted the words along with millions of others present, but they only left him more empty and thirsty for the truth.

One day, he saw some Christians on television speaking about Jesus.  He knew of Jesus as a prophet, but had never heard of Jesus as God.  He traveled to another country so he could learn more about the “good news”.  Over time, he began to realize the depravity of his life and his inability to ever do enough good works to get him into heaven.  He repented of his sins and began to follow Jesus.

Persecution came quickly.  His entire family shunned him.  His wife abandoned him, taking their 3 children with her.  He lost his job and all his money and possessions.  He had nothing…except Christ.  He said that he had lost everything, but he didn’t care anymore because “his chains were gone…He was, at last, a free man.”  His joy was in Christ, the Savior!

We listened to several more amazing stories just like this man’s.  Some had been delivered from a life of worldly sin, and others had been saved from their life of legalistic religion.  We began to realize something…..these men were just like us.  In fact, people everywhere are the same.  They are looking for truth…for freedom.  Some look to a worldly, sinful lifestyle, while others look to a rigid, rule-following religion.  But the truth is neither.  The truth is Jesus Christ!  And the story of Jesus Christ is a story of GRACE.  Grace is a foreign concept to much of the world.  They can’t understand a God that would take away our sins (past, present, and future) through grace, and allow us to live a life of freedom…freedom from sin…freedom from religion…freedom to serve God completely and wholly.  This is real life; this is real freedom.  And it knows no country, creed, race, or religion. It is found only in Christ Jesus, the Savior to ALL the world!

“Amazing GRACE, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see…My chains are gone, I’ve been set FREE. My God my Savior has ransomed me, and like a flood His mercy rains.  Amazing love, amazing grace!”