“Truly, truly, I
say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your
fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that
comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.”
-
John 6:47-50
Along
the banks of the Niger River, fields of millet struggle against the heat and
the hard earth. The Songhai/Zarma people spend the majority of the season
striving to cultivate these fields, praying fervently for rain that is so
essential to their livelihood. From village to village, the Songhai welcomed us
into their communities and homes, a reflection of the proud and hospitable
culture they have maintained through their rich history. However, one theme
remained constant within our conversations: prayers for rain.
While
not ignoring the physical needs in Niger, God is tugging on the hearts of His
children among the Songhai people. He is truly sending His rain and preparing
the way for a great harvest of believers. God reveals His sovereignty in all
things. In every interaction, He proved that He was making a way that we could
not understand or pride ourselves in, demonstrating at every turn that His
sheep hear His voice. He worked every situation for His good, opening up
encounters, conversations, and situations in a big way. Individuals were
seeking us out with a true and genuine thirst for the redemptive story of
Christ.
Throughout
villages along the roads to Gaya and Tera, we saw the gospel story told to many
people who had never before heard the name of Jesus Christ. Some of those who
heard believed, and many others were left with a calling towards further
understanding of the message. In almost every village we encountered, people
encouraged us to persevere, to not grow tired in our sharing and to return to
explain the significance of Christ’s sacrifice. At other times, we were met
with a degree of adversity among the Islamic leadership within the villages,
but God consistently opened up avenues for conversation and deeper
relationships in spite of this.
God
is moving among the Songhai people, and this past week of sharing with those
who do not believe and discipling those eager new Christians who do is a
testament to this. He is speaking to His children within Niger, revealing their
sin and, most importantly, their need for a savior. As the week ended, we were
able to see the fruit of His labor with a recap of villages who had not heard
who had been reached, believers who were established within villages once
unreached, and the constant effort of pulling local believers together to form
church bodies within villages. However, there is still a deep need for
obedience among international and local believers to spread their faith and
answer Christ’s call for the church, which alone has the power to change
communities. And just as the millet fields continue to rise, pray that God
continues to send his rain among hearts of the women and men of the Songhai
people.
- Ben H, Living Hope Baptist Church, Bowling Green, KY
