Dear Friends, Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Fourth of July, Independence Day, Greetings from Guinea!
As citizens of the United States of America commemorate their independence, I cannot help but draw parallels to how Christ has freed us from the bondage of sin and death. What a cause for celebration, and not just once a year, but every day, every moment that we worship God, who is everywhere, all the time.
It has been about two weeks since I arrived to these dark shores and a time of reflection as I transition from the incredible affluent and modernized West to the insanely poor and primitive third world. It is like slowly falling down and being stripped of conveniences and pretensions, down to the very skin and bones of the fallen man. In very small measure, I can only begin to understand the sacrifice that Christ made when He left Heaven to come to earth.
Despite over two thousand years since Christ’s coming, the task of making disciples of all nations remains unfinished, and after two hundred years of persistent Protestant missions, thankfully many millions in Africa know Christ but vast tracks still remain in spiritual darkness.
The Kabaya villagers, God bless them, are still the same. Most of them are more interested in the gifts or the things that I can give them, and not in knowing me or the Gospel. In many ways, I am like them myself- more interested in the blessings of God rather than knowing God Himself. It is my desire to know Christ more deeply, and as the Apostle Paul writes so passionately in Philippians 3:10-11, even to the point of sharing in His sufferings so that I may also share in His resurrection.
This is not an easy thing to do. It goes against every inclination of my natural self. Honestly, it is a struggle. But God can do it. Being here in Africa is also a struggle and something I could not do apart from Christ, who gives me the power to do it. In the midst of struggle, there is joy, amazing joy in Christ. Sharing the Gospel with some of the children in Kabaya, I was revived. The Gospel, the love of God, never gets old and always fills me with joy. God is the same everywhere all the time. In Christ, I can be joyful, thankful, and prayerful always.
Prayer Requests:
· Please continue to pray for spiritual focus on Christ alone and for strength to serve Him in Guinea.
· Preparations for the school, which begins July 13th.
· Unity among all the teachers (myself, David from Chicago, Pastor Joshua, and Madam Sarah), and the native staff and volunteers.
· The LA Team that will be here from July 8th to the 29th, that they may experience God in life changing ways and for their safety.
Thank you dearly for your prayers and support.
In the Lord, brother Chris