West Africa

David and I just returned home from a short-term mission trip to West Africa. This was my first time in West Africa and our second time going on a mission trip to Africa together. It was fun for me to take him to South Africa with me, to share with him my experience there and then for him to get to do the same. David had been to this same location earlier this year training African leaders. This trip was to follow-up with these leaders, to see how they were doing, to provide additional training on other topics and to promote connections between leaders from different countries.

The West African leaders shared stories of persecution in their countries and how the Lord worked through it. They shared about how the ministry expanded over the past 2 years. They processed challenges they are facing as well as what they envision God doing in their leadership and ministry fields over the next year.

Suffering or persecution refines faith and yields spiritual fruit. This is echoed throughout scripture. Jesus’ own suffering models how death to self unlocks multiplicative kingdom harvest.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

We taught a discovery Bible study from the book of Acts, focusing on passages about persecution. This lesson was a good way for us all to be encouraged and reminded of the power of the Gospel and how it was spread. Because of the believers boldness, they experienced God and many came to Christ. The lesson also served as a training for the leaders to be better equipped to go back and teach similar Bible studies in their home churches.

In America, we don’t experience persecution to the degree that West Africans do. We may risk rejection from family, friends, co-workers or neighbors; we often aren’t willing to take that risk to pursue the Father’s heart of multiplying disciples and churches. In West Africa, persecution takes a more violent form. Believers are gunned down in churches. Pastors are kidnapped. Schoolgirls are snatched away and disappear with their captors into the forest.

What usually sparks this persecution is the preaching of the Gospel. The result is multiplication of believers and the spread of the Word of the Lord. People hear the Word. Some accept it, although many choose to reject it.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

There were women and children there that I enjoyed interacting with. They were very kind to make me eggs or oatmeal in the mornings.