My Least Favorite Thing: Evangelize a New Village

Last night, I did one of my least favorite things as a missionary:  evangelize a new village.  Before my elders fall off out of their chairs in shock, let me take the drama out of that statement for you.  Among my favorite tasks as a missionary include things like helping people who are in need of food or medicine, assisting some trusted believers in small business grants, gathering a group of believers in a small group setting and teaching them something new from the Word, preaching at church on Sunday mornings, or organizing a group for mission efforts to another people group…just to name a few.  So why would a missionary say that “evangelizing a new village” is his “least favorite thing to do?”  It’s totally selfish I admit, but I don’t like all the attention.  Now to those of who you who have visited Africa before, you know what it’s like to be STARED AT all the time.  Even in villages where I have worked for years, when the white man enters the village, I become a walking spectacle.  But at least in some of those places, the people know me by my name (not just “hey, white man!”), they already know I speak their language (rather than getting interrupted in my speech a thousand times because every other sentence is catcalled with “did you hear that? The white man speaks our language”…in other words, they miss the next few important words I had to say), and they don’t gawk at my Nike sandals or stare at my funny porcupine haircut (new villagers are NOT given permission to touch these prickly locks…I gotta know you a little bit before I’ll let you do that….yes, people do have this thing about my hair…???).  So it’s a bit dramatic to say I don’t enjoy evangelizing a new village.  Probably just shock value that perhaps made you read on this far (I married into a family who loves this charming communication technique).  I had a great time last night, for lots of reasons, even though for some of the selfish reasons listed above, it was not always pleasant.  I’m amazed all the time that God still permits me to serve as an ambassador of His Grace when I find myself so irritated at times with…people.  (

OK, the real story is that last night, I was part of a delegation of 5 men (representing two different congregations) whom God used to bring the first words of His Hope and His Love to people in darkness.  Three men from the church at Kaiteme (Justin, Senou and Ega for those who know these names) joined me for the 25 minute drive to Ainahoue (those villages are respectively pronounced:  “ky-uh-tim-ay” and “yee-na-way”).  There we picked up Mathias and Janvier.  We drove another couple of kilometers up the road to the village of Missebo (me-say-bo).  We arrived an hour before sundown.  We gathered under the large overhanging tree right next to a local carpenter hard at work.  At first, the crowd seemed smaller than I had anticipated, but we began anyway.  We went around the square and all of us “foreigners” introduced ourselves with a brief testimony about our history with the Lord.  It was amazing to here the stories of these 5 men.  God is good!  We then shared some time in song, even though it was only a few of us who knew the words to these Christian songs (am I’m even doing the “watermelon” thing on some lines that I still don’t understand).  As dark approached, one man left his place on the long wooden bench.  Moments later, he returned with a kerosene lantern and placed it in the center of the square on the hot red dirt.  The soft glow lit up the faces of those seated in the square, but it still remained pitch black dark all around us.  As more and more gathered around those of us sitting on the benches in a square, I could not see their faces; I could only hear their rumblings to know they were getting more and more numerous as the evening went on.  I really began to enjoy myself once the dark night concealed the Yovo among them and all attention was turned to whichever Aja brother was speaking.  I enjoyed it not simply because eyes weren’t all gaping at me, but because I had heard that still small voice of God reminding me, “step back, let them shine.”  This is a word I am hearing a lot lately.  Although still in its infancy as a mighty movement of God, He has already raised up some gifted Aja teachers, evangelists, preachers, and so many faithful silent servants.  Based on nearly 7 years experience, I knew that a lot of those Missebo people were there to simply meet the white guy, to hear the Yovo speak, to wonder what exciting financial project this American was going to announce.  I loved the evening because as each one of my African colleagues spoke, God was speaking through them in a powerful, dynamic way.  While I did speak to this group of more than 40 people for at least 30 minutes (I can get long-winded even in another language!), I was definitely not the main speaker.  I loved watching Mathias dramatically testify to so many of his peers and to the peers of his parents, both who lived their lives sold out to the veneration of voodoo gods and spirits.  He did not have to convince anybody that his transformation was by Christ’s power alone; they all knew the influences of his life and so many watched him grow up to be “a man of many evil acts done in secret; a corrupt man doing only what pleased himself” (his own words).  I loved watching Ega (Lael’s birth father) command the attention of everyone, not just because of his disability (crippled by polio), but because of his command of the Word and its proclamation!  It was a great evening!  Regardless of my shocking revelation at the beginning, it was an exhilarating night to watch God at work in the lives of those men with whom I invest so much of my time and energy.  I love seeing fruit in their lives, fruit that I am confident will last for generations!  The evangelization of Missebo has begun…pray with us that God’s Word will penetrate the arts of many people in that village!!