The Seabourns

Stories

Stories from around the world

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“The nation of Equatorial Guinea in West Africa is certainly experiencing new waves in the planting of churches since the country’s independence in 1968. The 72 church planters we trained in September 2018 in the Multiplying Churches and Communities strategy have planted 147 churches in the last 12 months.” – Apollos Jabbo, Global Church Movements leader, West Africa

“In an undisclosed country in Southeast Asia, currently there are an estimated 45,000 local churches, up from 25,000 in 2007.” – John Becker, VP for Global Collaboration, GACX

“By the grace of God, all the churches in Chad are working together in the harvest and are now fasting and praying together for the nation and the growth of God’s kingdom.” – Tamadji Moyalbaye, Global Church Movements leader, Chad

“Last week, more than 60 Cru USA staff and partners attended our first US Global Church Movements staff conference, and we are ready to partner with churches and mission organizations and launch a national church multiplication movement.” – Dave Robinson, national director, US Global Church Movements

“Arobogast Henga, a former fisherman from an island in Lake Victoria, Tanzania has experienced an amazing multiplication of churches with 25 generations in two years.” – Dismas Shekalaghe, Global Church Movements leader, Southern & Eastern Africa

The Cattleman Catches a Vision

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Arba Minch, a town in southern Ethiopia known for its many springs, its tropical fruit and a crocodile market, has grown dramatically in recent years — from 40,000 in 1994 to nearly 200,000 today.

A couple of years ago, the growth led to the relocation of 400 families (about 1,000 people) to a new community on the edge of town. As far as anyone knew, no believers dwelt among the 400 families in this village, known as Noc Site.

About that same time, the Kelhiout Church in Arba Minch sent a farmer named Gideon to the Global Church Movements church-planting training.

When Gideon was about 35 years old, he had come to faith in Christ through the witness of a 10-year-old boy. Gideon had been raising cattle but had sunk into a life of drinking and stealing. After turning to Christ, he fully surrendered everything in order to serve the Lord, and was actively sharing his faith.

During the training, he learned about a witnessing method known as “Prayer, Care, Share.” This approach encourages believers to find a “Person of Peace,” that is, somebody who is open enough to meet the believer and can open doors to a community. One prays for the Person of Peace, then finds ways to care for that person and meet their needs, and finally shares the gospel with him or her.

Gideon and his local church agreed that he would reach out to Noc Site, this fledgling village of 1,000 people with no Christian witness. He asked God to lead him to a Person of Peace, then began caring for people and witnessing. One day in town he met Yashir, who lived in Noc Site. As he began to pray for, care for and share with Yashir and his wife, they gave their hearts to the Lord. Yashir quickly shared the gospel with his relatives, and two of them accepted Christ as well.

This small group began regularly meeting to study the Bible. As the new believers learned how to follow Jesus and share their faith with others, the group grew. With the help of Gideon, what started at Yashir’s house two years ago has grown to a church of more than 50 people today. And several of the new believers are learning how to lead their own Bible studies, so the church in Noc Site will soon begin to multiply — fulfilling the dream of a church reaching this 1,000-person community!

Feeding a Missionary Soul

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Even missionaries do it. I did it last Monday.

We don’t take advantage of opportunities to talk about Jesus.

I have long said that the airline seat assignment system would be God’s appointment system for me. So last Monday, why didn’t I take more initiative to talk with the man from New Zealand about Christ? Flying to Dallas, he was talkative. We talked about the economy (he is deeply concerned). We talked about political instability in Nigeria (he has done business there).

But we didn’t talk about Jesus. And I didn’t even get his name. I was not very friendly or engaged!

After the flight, I talked with God about it. I told him I felt unable to turn the conversation to spiritual things. I haven’t felt that unable in a long time. Kay and I have been traveling together most of the time lately so I’m not engaging another seatmate. I must be out of practice.

So with a renewed dependence on God’s empowering, I took my seat on this morning’s flight home to Orlando.

And I had a wonderful conversation with A—. She grew up an active follower of Jesus and even thought of mission work but has become engrossed in her career since college. She no longer attends church. Her parents have split up. She told me she is drifting.

But in her story, I heard a heart for Jesus. Her eyes danced when she talked about a missionary friend’s emails from Ghana and a college friend’s job in Kenya.

I left her with a challenge—find an accountability partner who will ask her hard questions to help her stop the drift, someone who will hold her accountable to find a group that can feed her soul. I challenged her to save $3000 and join a mission trip to Ghana or Kenya and come back a changed person because she’s seen God at work in a place very different than she’s ever experienced.

To give her something tangible to feed her missionary soul, I showed her the Jesus Film app on my mobile phone with films in hundreds of languages. As we taxied to the terminal, she had already downloaded the app and eagerly showed me the app on HER phone.

A— is reconnecting to a seed God planted many years ago. The worries and cares of the world have been growing and choking it out. My prayer is that the garden tending of yesterday will help the seed to grow and bear fruit.

And once again, the airline seating system provided a divine appointment, as long as I’m willing to talk about Jesus!

Who can you talk about Jesus with today?

You must wait until tomorrow

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“I’m sorry, sir, there is no flight.”
“Has it been cancelled?”
“No sir, there is no flight from Nairobi to Bamako today. You must wait until tomorrow.”
“But I have a ticket for a flight today, 13th March.”
“Yes sir. I can see your ticket. But there is no flight today. You must wait until tomorrow.”

 

So started today’s adventure. I got up at 3:45 am. The bus to Nairobi picked us up at 4:45 am as planned. So far, so good.

We got to the airport about 5:45 am. My flight is scheduled for 9 am. The checkin line is nice and short. Only one person ahead of me. Things are going well.

Then I had the conversation with the airline checkin attendant. Things are not going so good, now. She continued, “But I can see it is not your fault. So I will check you in for your flight tomorrow. I will give you a hotel voucher and meals. You can come back tomorrow.”

So, I’m in a nice 5-star hotel in downtown Nairobi.

I have meal vouchers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have internet. It’s a nice place.

But I’m supposed to be in Mali this afternoon. I guess there is work for me to do here in Nairobi today rather than in Mali today.

I’m reminded of a lesson I learned from Henry Brandt: I am going to be in Nairobi today. I have no choice. But I do have a choice about my attitude. I can be in Nairobi as a happy, contented, peaceful person, or I can be in Nairobi as a frustrated, angry person. The choice is mine. But I am going to be in Nairobi.

I decided choose to be contented and at peace because I’m confident God knew I was going to be in Nairobi today. And he has made provision for my attitude through his Holy Spirt.

How do you handle unexpected changes?