Pastor Michel is who we stayed with in Africa. You will probably hear me talk about him alot over the course of this bible study as meeting him really changed my life. The majority of the people that I met in Burkina Faso are "On Fire" Christians. My suspicion is that since their living conditions are far from desirable, they have been forced to really think about what they are living for. It was very apparent to me that they are living to be SERVANTS for God's kingdom. They are very interested in pursuing meaningful realationships with other humans with Christ as center. Our big God, that we talked about last night, gives Pastor Michel these larger than life visions and then gradually gives him the tools to make these visions happen here on earth. Burkina Faso is a predominantly Musilm country and Pastor Michel has been successfully converting Muslims to Christians for almost 30 years now. He truly lives on faith, and has given his whole life to God. Every time I complimented his work he responded, "It is not me, but my God who gives me this strength." I look forward to sharing more of his inspirational stories. This recent experience has really challenged me to understand that our obligation as Christians here on Earth is to serve others while letting the principles from the Bible direct this servanthood. I also came to realize that all the material possessions in the world cannot make you happy. The majority of the people that I met from Burkina Faso had very few material possessions, but were truly filled with joy. This is an amazing memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. Kids running around with no shoes on in 122 Degree weather with Jesus in their hearts and smiles on their faces wanting to hold your hand. A daily relationship with Jesus is what will bring us true happiness and joy that can be shared with all those around us. See a brief summary of his testimony below.
http://africanhopeinitiative.org/story/
http://africanhopeinitiative.org/story/
Andrew thanks for sharing. You have experienced something that many people can only imagine. The experiences you had on this trip can absolutely change your life. Don’t let go of the awe of who God is and how he works so powerfully through the people we would least assume to be His champions. He is a big, big God and he transcends the boundaries that we, as humans, artificially create. It sometimes takes a trip like this to reignite that sense of wonder and yearning for Him. I look forward to hearing more.
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