Niger! God, really!
That was honestly my first thought when the Holy Spirit told me
obedience to God included a mission trip to Niger. When God gave the same call to my husband, I knew we must
go. The trip certainly did not make
sense from a temporal point of view.
Our business was not doing well financially and the trip was expensive.
It was right at Christmas and who would do "Christmas” for the family if I
was busy with a mission trip.
Little did I know that God was going to give me a Christmas gift of
understanding His will.
When I became a Christian, I had to leave the faith of my
family (one of works salvation) and attend a church that taught salvation by
grace through faith. My mother was
so upset with my decision she kicked me out of the family. No communication with me from her, my
father, or three brothers. No
coming home for the holidays. I
was dead to them. I remember my
first Christmas as a Christian sitting in my apartment completely alone
questioning God’s will. Does being
a Christian have to hurt so much?
Now back to Niger.
The Songhai are a community.
In each of their villages they understand information and make decisions
as a community. Children wander
about freely for the community watches out for them. Food is shared depending on who has money that day. In the harsh climate of Niger,
community means survival for the Songhai.
When a Songhai follows Jesus he is immediately separated from his
family. He is no longer a part of
that precious community he needs to just physically survive. The beautiful Songhai believer truly
gives up all to follow Christ.
Now I knew why so many years ago God allowed my family to
reject me for my belief. I had a
testimony to share with the Songhai believers. Without speaking the same language, we both understood the
pain of becoming a follower of Jesus but also knew that following Him was worth
the price. We understood that we
get a new and better family starting with Christ as our brother. And they came to know becoming
a Christian can mean rejection in any culture not just theirs. It was a testimony that was shared with
believers I taught and one that resonated with even nonbelievers in Karma and Kakassi. God had given me a totally undeserved
gift to share with others, my family’s rejection.
-- Annie D, LHBC, Bowling Green, Ky
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