I’m really glad I went to Africa last month and extremely grateful for the opportunity. To be honest, there was hesitancy in making the journey. Personally, I had a bunch of excuses – some valid and others not so. But in reality, it was something that needed to happen. My going would add some credence to our five year partnership in Botswana and allow me to speak with greater integrity in future financial appeals and people support for Africa – and that’s coming. My going changed my perspective and taught me a few lessons.
Here are a few things I learned in the journey:
We must make the most of the open window. One day the opportunity will close. Due to specific circumstances, this become obvious to me as countries and especially the one we visited are become less accepting of Christian missionaries. As long as the window is open, we need to do everything we can do to promote the gospel message.
We have a huge opportunity to develop leaders in Africa. Leaders are young, green and inexperienced. Even the more seasoned pastors and leaders lack the resources to personally develop. It’s stuff we take for granted here in America. Resources are scare and expensive. We have an obligation to help raise a generation of leaders and create a solid foundation. While the window is open, we need to pour into the lives of pastors and leaders in Botswana.
Ministry is ministry in any culture. The first day, I taught pastors and church leaders from my book, Preventing Ministry Failure. As we dialogued about self-care strategies, many of these men and women were quick to share their own stories. It was obvious, people are people and issues are issues wherever you go. Some of the very challenges we struggle with in the American church are equally shared in Africa.
Africa is ripe for the harvest. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I witnessed a husband and wife sitting under a tree respond to the gospel and become Christ followers. It wasn’t just an acknowledgement on their behalf, there was a countenance transformation. They were visually changed before me. People wanted to hear about Jesus. You started the conversation and soon more joined the crowd. People listened; people responded. I’ve never witnessed an openness, hunger or thirst like that in America, but I saw it in the eyes of men, women and children in Africa. God is doing a work there.
We’ve gotta keep going and we must be creative in the sending. In a day in which our denominational sending agency is laying off 600-800 people and removing career missionaries from the field, we can’t let this decision deter or stifle the going. We’re called to go; we’re sent. In the past, we’ve put the responsibly on the missionaries, but we share a commission to go as well. As our denomination shifts its models to fulfill the great commission, we can’t lose sight of our sentness. For example, next summer some of our students will journey to Africa to work the places of our partnership. The cost is significant, but our students must go. You can be confident of future appeals to help offset the cost of the sending. There will be at least two other trips over the next year too. Perhaps God is sending you to work the fields ripe for harvest.
