little black lamb!

A few weeks ago I blogged about the joy of being inconvenienced, If I didn’t convince you enough last time with my time in Paris, I hope that this story and the joy of my team being inconvenienced will encourage you to live a lifestyle of inconvenience.

I have the incredible bliss of having the most impressive team, I can’t speak highly enough of them! The way they selflessly give of themselves encourages me and reminds me daily why I love what I do so much. They are like no other group of students I have had the privilege of working with thus far. Praise Jesus, let us continue to go from GLORY TO GLORY!

Last week our team went to an orphanage without Lindsay and me (don’t worry we weren’t slacking but working on visas to Nigeria). The team left early that morning, around 7 am, and were on their way home after a LONG day of loving the precious children at the orphanage. The team was exhausted and many were sleeping on the way home when Johan, our Irish lad who was sitting in the front seat saw a man on the side of the road.

Now this man had one leg shorter than the other, as soon as Johan saw him he felt the Lord tell him to stop the car to pray for him. Soon in to the start of our outreach our team made a decision that any time we saw someone on the side of the road that we wanted to stop and pray for we would holler at Komi our driver and stop, no matter what kind of inconvenience it would bring to us! As well as this commitment, our team had had received many words from the Lord that we would see powerful healings while in Africa. Soooo you can imagine all that is running through Johan’s head as he himself is struggling to stay awake. He KNOWs just how much on an inconvenience this would be for them to turn around and go back. At first he doesn’t say anything, except to Alec another guy on our team, leading them to both go back and forth about what to do…for 5 whole minutes!! Johan’s internal struggle of trying to determine if it was his own thoughts he was battling or if it really was from the Lord. He finally conceded that it was the Lord and couldn’t deny the prompting of the Holy Spirit any longer as he boldly turned to Komi to tell him to turn around…

Now Komi, who is not a believer, was also exhausted and was longing for home just as much as anyone else, looked at Johan with the look of, “you have GOT to be joking me!!!!” but knowing our team by this point :)) obediently turned the car around and went back to the man.

By the time they turned back and reached the man, named Kossi, minutes from when they first saw the man, to only discover that Kossi did not speak French. Supposedly the National language of Togo! Lucky for the team Komi spoke a-way the unofficial national language in Togo. The team patiently waited and prayed as Johan spoke English to Solomon (our pastor friend) who spoke to Komi in French who then translated Solomon’s words into A-way to Kossi for him to understand. Praise the Lord that we travel in a diverse group :)

Kossi welcomed the prayer and our team got to pray for Kossi’s leg, nothing changed. BUT undiscouraged Johan pressed in and asked Kossi if he had ever heard the gospel message before?? No he hadn’t. So once again through two translators Johan and the team pressed in and shared the great news of the Gospel to Kossi!! Kossi was blown away by the goodness of our Lord and all that Jesus had done for him and decided to give his life to Jesus!!!! What an amazing testimony! I love how Komi who is not yet a believer himself led someone to the Lord! That is just like Jesus to do something like that!! (Insert Praise break here!!)

Our team left Kossi after helping him connect to a local church feeling yes inconvenienced, exhausted and ready for home BUT SO elated, faith-filled and confident knowing they had just advanced the Kingdom of heaven!

This morning As I was writing about this to my supporters I was reminded of the Parable Jesus told in Luke 15.1-7. Jesus tells of the Good Shepherd who leaves his flock of 99 to go after that ONE who has strayed. What a benevolent picture of our Father, the Good Shepherd who has not forgotten even one of his precious children. He loves each of us so much and will do anything to bring us back to the safety and fullness of a relationship with Him. In addition I appreciate so much how the Lord chooses to use us to see his flock restored. Even when we struggle and doubt God doesn’t give up on us but perseveres with us to include us in his glorious purposes!

This to me is again a beautiful picture of how God is so much more committed to his people than we could ever be! He is more committed to US than we could ever know! he always leaves the flock for that one! Let us be a people who are world changers who like Jesus leave the flock and go after that one! That one that Jesus knows is ready and waiting to be welcomed in to his Kingdom!

Who do you know in your life right now that you can go and share the gospel with? Pray for? Show God’s love, faithfulness & benevolence to??