This last week, we traveled to a town close by Mbita, called Sindo. This was a beautiful place with huge mountains, and lots of green everywhere you go. As some call it, the Bush Bush. We stayed in our trusty Coleman tents, which we set up in the rain (its the rainy season now), and several nights cuddled close so that the leaks from the storms would not get to our sleeping bags. It was a hard week, but God never said anything about this being easy. One of my favorite memories was meeting Boston during our time to walk about the city and spend time with the lost and the broken. I was with T, (Tara Borman) and our translators Hezron and Omari. They decided to take us to this African pub, which is actually a mud hut with a grass roof, and a woman inside brewing beer over a wood fire. The men drink out of old tomato cans and the beer looks like gasoline with bits of maize flour in it. Gross. We walked around and met all of the people inside, many of the men had been drunk for days, and we all knew that there was one person that God wanted us to meet. It was Boston.

 

Boston is 25 years old. He began to tell us that he knew the Lord, once, but was turned away from the church- being accused of trying to sleep with some of the girls. Whether this is true or not, he was wounded. He left the church, believing that Jesus didn't care about him, and that his life was worthless. He fell into a life of prostitution, drugs and alcohol, and now that his money is gone, he works a little, and goes to the pub to drink. We began to apologize to him for the church, the way they kicked him out. The church body is supposed to be love. The church body is supposed to build up, not tear down, it is supposed to encourage. We talked to him about the God we know, the Jesus who loves him. The one who sees his life, the potential that he has, and the forgiveness and freedom he brings. We prophesied truth into his life, and Boston began to cry. He said, "I want that, I want to be like that" and we prayed with him. You could see the joy in his heart, he couldnt stop smiling, and he was ready to get out of that place. Its amazing what the love of God can do. He began to tell us that his mom had been praying for him for 6 years that he would stop drinking, and right after our conversation, he called his mom and told her the good news. Hezron and Omari were so excited about meeting Boston. They very quickly accepted him as their brother in Christ, and before you knew it, Boston was coming to all of our outreaches, to the orphanage, the schools, the hospital, and even the church.

 

That sunday at church, Boston stood up to share his new testimony. By God's will, I spoke about John 8 and how Jesus did not condemn the adultress. People wanted to stone her for her sins, but Jesus showed them that they all lived in sin too. Jesus said "whoever has not sinned should be the first to throw a stone at this women", and no one could do it. However, Jesus could have, he was the only one without sin, but he chose not to. He chose to love her and not condemn her. I think what we forget, is that we are the adultress. We often point our fingers and everyone else and forget that we too are sinners. We need to follow in Jesus' example and choose to love people, and ask them to walk in the Light of Life, to turn from their sinful ways and follow God. By inviting Boston into God's light and life, we allowed him to walk out of his sinful ways. We were able to give him a bible, which he eagerly started to read. He took it with him everywhere. Even though we left Sindo, Hezron and Omari keep in contact with him. Boston will be coming with us to our next outreaches as well! Praise God. I just want to encourage those who read this blog, it doesnt matter who it is, or what you do, but when you let the light of God shine through you, it changes things. It changes people. They see that light, and they are drawn to it. Be Jesus to the people God puts in your life. whether it is at the grocery store, at work, to your kids, to your parents, a bus driver, or even your mail man, you can lead by Christs example. I love you all and miss you tons. Here is a picture of where we stayed!