December

 

My little sister Abigael

Marie, Abigael and I with the church in the background

While preparing to come here, one of the most difficult things to explain to people was what exactly I would be doing here. The explanation, of course, was that our life would be a ministry, but in reality that doesn’t give too much information. So for this update I hope to show you what it means for me, here, in Cote d’Ivoire, serving Jesus. My time is mainly split between four main areas: my siblings, my parents, my neighbors, and my youth group.

Firstly in Boundiali, there is my family. The day begins early, and we work hard until its time for the younger ones to go to school and for my mom and 15 year old sister, Marie, to go to the fields. The house needs to be swept and mopped, someone needs to go to the market, there are dishes to wash, food to make, clothes to wash. Work is hard here and sometimes it feels so pointless to wash dishes that will just be dirtied again. But nowhere in the Bible do I hear our God saying that it is more worthwhile to type emails than to wash dishes. All work given fully to the Lord is used for his glory. I’ve already learned so much from Marie about taking joy in work. She has worked her whole life, having never been to school, and yet I’ve never heard grumbling or even seen displeasure in her face.

My mind is often on my younger siblings, and I need to be lifting them up in prayer more. The culture and conditions are hard on children, and so they grow up looking out only for themselves. Most Ivorian families, including mine, shelter biological children as well as cousins, friends, and grandchildren. Often you can see who’s a biological child by the level of education or special things they get like new clothes. It’s a complex situation. While not trying to change the culture this year, I do believe that God is glorified when I try to teach my siblings about core concepts of serving God, like loving others more than yourself and taking the position of the lowest servant. I spend the most time with my two year old sister Abigaël, since it’s my responsibility to wake her up, bathe her, feed her, dress her, take her to school, pick her up for lunch, take her back to school, and then pick her up in the evening. It has been encouraging to already see little changes in her attitude towards others. 

Then there are my parents, I have really been blessed with parents who are already involved in investing in their community. Granted my dad is the pastor, but being a pastor and serving do not always go hand in hand. I have had the opportunity to help with some really cool ministries that they are already part of. I often go with my dad to visit families from our congregation of three hundred. Between two wives of one man who want to kill each other, women with demonic attacks, and sickness, we have been asking God for a lot of help. One task I often do for my dad that I would never expect to do in Africa is type. Our church was able to buy their first computer a month ago and as one of the fastest typers in the church I have typed up programs, bible studies, as well as money accounts. With my mom I get to join in the women’s ministries to do service like sweep and wash the whole church at 5:30 in the morning ( they started at 5 but let me sleep in a little). Sometimes I wonder how the conversations would have gone in the US if I would have known that part of my ministry would be typing and scrubbing the floor. But that is life here, those are things that need to get done, and our great God can use the little tasks that we are faithful with to do great things for his kingdom.

As for my neighbors, I described earlier I often walk to my little sister’s “Ecole Maternelle” four times a day, between picking and dropping her off. In the US this might be an uneventful task, but in Boundiali it is one of the most exciting evangelism times. On the way to school I pass two old couples’ homes, the shop of a tailor and her sister, one boutique, two bars, a hair salon, and a lumber yard. And in Cote d’Ivoire all work takes place outside. Not counting the ladies who walk around selling things, and the students going to and from school, I have eight people on the road to school that I see on a daily basis. And that is just the road to my little sister’s school. The road to the market and the road to the house of my teammate Chrissy, are full of people who need Jesus. God has really been blessing me, in particular, with good conversations with the tailor and her sister who are Christmas/Easter Christians and with one girl who works at the bar and also as a prostitute. 

And lastly there is our French youth group at church. There are about fifteen people in our group, and it is led solely by the youth with an elected president as head. Being a young person myself, I hope I can say without offending anyone that it is a difficult thing for young people to disciple and lead others their age. So, understandably, our youth group has quite a few problems. The people I have gotten to know so far have been mainly interested in celebrities, flirting, money, being cool, and drinking (which is forbidden in churches in Cote d’Ivoire). A lot of our youth meetings people get really mad at each other. But thankfully because of Christmas preparations, Chrissy and I have really begun to be friends with the youth group and we have had the opportunity to share bits of our testimonies. As we continue to pray for them and start our girl’s bible study every Sunday we are praying for God to come in power and really captivate the youth’s hearts here.

Life here is ministry, and one thing that I am really enjoying is that each day is different. Some weeks I’ve been with the youth more, others I’ve been with my Dad more. In the future Chrissy and I will also be helping out at the high school here and we hope to volunteer in the mission’s dispensary, as well. I’m also looking forward to our church’s three evangelization outings to villages planned for this next year. But in closing I just want to share that it is not in my strength that I do all the activities I do. Encouraged by the Holy Spirit, and inspired by my roommate, Najo, in Bouake, I have been faithfully spending around an hour in the bible each day and, honestly it makes such a difference. I get so much encouragement from our heavenly father and so much joy and excitement for each new day I get to spend with him. Thank you so much for your prayers! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

A little hike with two of our teammates who visited and friends from youth group

 
Katie Green or Koné Nibondjéwin Amla