In the Shadow of a Cow

Over the past month, I have participated with an evangelism team made up of Christians from Kaiteme (ky-uh-tim-ay) and Ainahoue (yee-nah-way). I have joined them on several occasions, but they really kept it up during the holidays when we were out of town. In the village of Missebo (mee-say-bo), I accompanied Mathias (mah-tee-ahs) and several others from the team around the village announcing our plans for the following week. We were greeted warmly, but I could sense a resistance from certain ones. This village is a stronghold of our enemy, a village well-known for its voodoo powers and the powerful god of Jagli (jog-lee). I don’t know much yet about this god, but Jagli is revered among the people of Missebo. As we announced our plans for the next week’s lesson, I was reminded of our battle as we walked pass the large hut in which the idolatrous image of Jagli was housed. The image was large, ominous and secure in imposing its’ obvious influence over the lives of these people. In the minds of the people of Missebo, there is no match for the power of Jagli.

A week passed and I was eager to be a part of this week’s activities, so I arranged my schedule so I could go. As we pulled up to the normal meeting place, I was struck by two things: (1) very few people and (2) a cow.

The first oddity did not surprise me, although I was hoping for an already-assembled group of people. Mathias had been at my house that morning where we spent some time praying about Missebo. He spoke of his personal efforts during the week to remind people of the meeting. He did speak candidly about the conversations he had broadcasting our intentions to proclaim the Word of God. Not everyone was eager and receptive. Mathias told me that on numerous occasions, certain ones would take him into their homes with hushed voices trying to reason with him about the futility of our efforts, touting the unlikelihood of the people of Missebo turning their backs on Jagli. Still others would flaunt their weapons of witchcraft in efforts to intimidate Mathias. I was not stunned to see a vacant seating area, as well, because it is not the custom of the Aja people to arrive in advance of their guests, but rather to begin assembling upon the visitor’s arrival.

The second peculiarity was most certainly that single cow tied to the tree right next to the meeting area. While at first I assumed someone was permitting their one head of cattle to graze on the grassy area next to the carpenter’s shed right off the main road, I became suspicious because I know that most Aja people do not have cattle. And those who do, have more than one. Then I asked one of my colleagues about it.

“It’s the sacrificial cow for the ceremony,” explained Senou (see-new).
“What ceremony?” the missionary asked.
“For Jagli.”
“When?”
“Oh they haven’t announced the exact date, but soon.”
“How many days long is the ceremony?”
“Well it depends, but a minimum of 3 days, possibly 2 weeks.”
“On what does it depend?”
“The power of Jagli is known all over West Africa, and people will be coming from Nigeria, Togo, and Ghana and even as far as Ivory Coast to participate. The fetish priest will decide once all the participants have arrived on how many days it should last. If the people are going to travel that far, they don’t want a short ceremony.”
“You mean people will complain for not having enough money for transportation to take their sick children to a good hospital in the capital city, but they’ll travel in a 3-day expensive taxi ride to come to pay homage to one of their voodoo gods?”
“That’s the power of Jagli. People are scared of Jagli. They know if they don’t venerate this god, bad things will happen to their family. Sickness. Death. All kinds of bad things.”

Of course then it hit me…the two were really one. Fear of Jagli (with its sacrificial cow displayed prominently in the village, right next to our meeting place) made certain that people were not going to gather. We prayed that God’s Word would be proclaimed that night.

We finally were able to begin, having witnessed about a dozen to 20 people in attendance (mainly young people who are often more receptive to hearing God’s Word). As the presence of the beefy beast could be heard chewing its cud just behind my right shoulder, Senou reviewed some previous lessons. In the shadow of the sacrificial animal of Jagli, Mathias then rendered a powerful personal testimony accompanying his lesson on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Mathias is a masterful storyteller, and his own well-known personal history of idolatry and witchcraft mesmerized the crowd. Soon more and more showed up. The voodoo practices of Mathias’ family are notoriously celebrated in the Missebo and Ainahoue region. Mathias was bold in his proclamation about Christ’s power to set him free! Praise God for Aja men of this caliber!!!

As I drove home that night, I pondered the importance of what we did…not just for the people of Missebo (after a good reception, they invited the evangelism team to return next week). Having the opportunity to stand alongside these men on more than one occasion, I was reminded that these are more than just training exercises…this is the real thing. Light shining in Darkness. The training they receive is valuable for the longevity of the movement of God among the Aja people. Each time they go out to testify to non-believers, they grow in confidence. They grow in their own faith, realizing that it is God speaking through them as His ambassadors. Most of them are so bold in their witness among their peers. That challenges me.

One day soon, when we return to America, will I be the same? As the years turn literally into months before we leave this area of the world and relocate back to the States, I am faced with that challenge. I wonder how much I have really changed....all the experiences over the past 7 years, as well as a greater understanding of Scripture (and much more experience using it to touch the lives of non-believers)....I wonder how God will use it. I remember one of our dearest elders putting his hand on my shoulder the Sunday night prior to our departure for Benin in 1999 saying, "Randy, I'm praying that you'll have a great blessing of fruitful ministry among the Aja people...but know, too, that I am praying that through this experience, God will make you a more effective witness for Christ when you return." I remember that SO vividly. He wasn't saying that condemning my witness at the time, but he knew these encounters on the fields of Benin would change me and have the potential to make me bolder.

Am I ready to be called upon...for God to call upon the "American Randy" who was always pretty bashful about his faith in public and especially around non-Christians? What's God going to ask of me? Am I ready to respond when God calls the "American me"? The “Aja Randy” is characteristically much bolder in my witness than I remember of the “American Randy”. Perhaps it’s the ability to hide behind the mask of another language where I don’t have the concern of “what my friends might think”. Or perhaps I have even higher expectations of the “missionary”…to be more courageous in my faith than I do of the “American Randy.” When I stand alongside my Aja brothers, they teach me so much more than they can even imagine.

Please pray for the village of Missebo (mee-say-bo) and for the proclamation of Light in this stronghold of Darkness! Pray that those of us who stand up boldly to proclaim our faith here, will be confident and unashamed to do that no matter where we live.

-Randy