The 20/20 window, persecution, my physical state, and a cool story

To the missionary world, the 20/20 window is the area 20 degrees north of the equator and 20 degrees south of it. That window is the most unreached place in the world, in terms of the gospel. This past week, I have experienced first hand the reality of the 20/20 window. I did home visits to some of the homes that the children in the orphanage were taken from due to neglect and abuse. James told the people that I was paying for the children to go to school, and some women cried, others gave me gifts of peanuts, maize, and avocados. I met a grandmother who was so moved and wanted to thank me, but didn’t know English, so she was just able to smile. As I walk down the streets here, I meet children and adults who have never met a white person before. I think that’s a problem. Islam and witchcraft plague this area, and it’s so obvious. The gospel is needed, and I can only pray that God will raise up people to share his love in this area long after I am gone.
Now about persecution. All my life I have been a pretty well-liked person, or at least I like to think so. I have always had friends and I was never really made fun of. Here, I am so alone. It’s hard. Prior to leaving for Africa, I read a lot of Scripture where Jesus says that if we follow him, then we will face persecution and we will be like ‘sheep among wolves.’ The church in America isn’t persecuted at all, so I didn’t grasp that scripture. . . until Thursday. Well, Wednesday night I got really sick and spent a lot of time in the bathroom (I mean, over a hole with the cockroaches and geckos). Thursday I woke up and still didn’t feel good, but I was scheduled to speak in a high school in town. I was told that I needed to talk about HIV/AIDS and encourage the kids to stay and school and pursue university. I don’t know much about HIV/AIDS, but as I prayed about what to talk about, the Lord said, “Preach the good news.” The school I was talking in was a public school, so I said, “Okay God, I will share the gospel, and whatever comes of it, let it come.” I was envisioning myself as one of the disciples in the book of Acts who speak boldly and with authority that only the Spirit gives. Ha. I wish that was the case. I shared my story with the kids and talked about God. I told the girls how their lives are valuable and that they shouldn’t settle for a meager life, because the Lord sees them as beautiful, strong women. As I was talking, they laughed in my face. Straight up laughed at me. Not what I was expecting. It was incredibly discouraging. After that, any time I walked around, the people in the town would point and yell, “White person!” They laughed at me and made it clear that I wasn’t welcome. I never thought preaching God’s word would bring that, but Scripture says that if the world does not hate you, then something is wrong. I was extremely frustrated and felt that I wasn’t making an impact, but God showed otherwise.
All the people I work with know that I play soccer, so they decided that I would be the person to start a women’s soccer team. Here, women don’t play soccer, just men. Women are supposed to stay in the home and clean and cook and not play. However, things are changing and the world is developing, so part of empowering these high school girls is coming through the game of soccer. I have officially started the first girl’s soccer team in Mpigi town. I talked to all the girls about what the program would look like, and then we put out a piece of paper for them to sign up. 40 girls signed up for the team. That scares me, but it’s cool. I begin training them on Monday with one soccer ball and a flat piece of dirt land, and a few bricks that we set up as goals. It will be challenging and interesting, but I’m excited.
Okay. Like I said, I got sick. Saturday I went to the hospital and they tested for Malaria, but I don’t have it. They gave me some vitamins and pain killers for my headaches, which have helped some, but when the medicine wears off, my head hurts badly. My trip to the hospital, blood work, and 2 prescriptions cost me a total of $2.50. That baffled me. Saturday night my head was bleeding (because I have psorisis, but it has never beld before). Anyways, my living conditions here are not good, so I am heading back to Kenya next weekend then will probably be coming home early. Today I just got this impression in my heart that I needed to go home and be with my family. It was hard to tell the owner of the orphanage, but I’d rather leave then get sick and die. I’m not discouraged though. I feel like the Lord has done great things, and I will still be doing ministry when I am in Kenya for a little while. I really just need to get healthy.
This is a cool story. Thursday night was a really rough night for me. Spiritual warfare was at a peak, my body was failing me, and I was discouraged from the day. Since I’ve been at the orphanage, I have never received a phone call because I don’t have phone service. However, Thursday evening I got a call from my Mom. It was wonderful to talk to her and it was such an encouragement. Friday morning I checked my email and I had an email from my friend Katie. She said that all day Thursday she couldn’t get me out of her mind and she felt like God wanted her to pray for me, but she wasn’t sure why. I can sit here and say that it is because of her prayers that my Mom’s phone call came through. I am amazed at that whole situation, and it shined so much light in what seemed liked darkness. God answers prayers.
Yes, this blog is long, but I have one more thing to talk about. I have had lots of time to read the Word. I was finishing 1 Kings during that time when I was really discouraged. In chapter 18 Elijah calls down fire from heaven and rain after a 3 year drought. He saw God do great things. Yet, in chapter 19 he lays down before the Lord and asks him to take his life. He tells God that he has had enough. Elijah is the only prophet left and everyone is out to kill him. An angel comes and strengthens Elijah, then sends him on a 40 day walk to the mountain of God. It is there that God speaks to Elijah in a whisper. Most of us are familiar with that story, but God revealed something to me. When Elijah is on the mountain God asks him why he is there, twice. Two times Elijah says the same thing: That he has had enough, that there are no other people left who have been faithful to the Lord, and despite his faithfulness to God’s calling, he is frustrated. God gives him hope though, and tells him that he is not alone; rather there are 7,000 others whose knees have not bowed down before Baal. I felt like I was faithful to God’s calling on my life, but I found myself so lonely and down, I didn’t think he was using me and I just wanted to come home. God gave me hope though. The songs the children here sing each night to the Lord give me hope. The emails and comments I receive from people give me hope. The English the children are learning gives me hope. The 40 girls that signed up for the soccer team give me hope. The answered prayers give me hope. God is faithful, he is sovereign, he is good – no matter what circumstances I find myself in.
So that’s it for now. Sorry about the length. Much has happened this past week, and much will probably happen this next week. There is some scripture I want to leave you with, and I feel that it is applicable in America and Africa alike. I think it’s in Colossians (4:5), and it says, “Walk in wisdom towards those who are without, redeeming the time.” Missionaries aren’t just the people peeing in holes in the middle of an African jungle.