This was definitely the most arduous day for us so far. We left at 5:00 from
Berberati and arrived in Bayanga at 4:00 p.m. This was only a 170 mile trip,
but due to the road condition, it took us 10 hours to get here. This was a
record breaking for such a short trip! Along the way, we saw savannahs,
rolling hills, beautiful blue skies and lots of rain.
We also got stuck twice on the muddy roads, the last time we all had to help
and we only got out because one truck pulled the other. We were basically
all covered with mud all over, but thank God we arrived here safely.
Our host is a Swedish missionary couple who has been on this location for
five years. They built a couple of houses here and some classrooms. The
Pygmies come for six weeks at a time and receive training for leadership and
evangelism. Then they go back to their villages and practice what they have
learned.
They have started 12 churches in this area, half of which led by Pygmies and
the other half by Central Africans. We stopped in one village where ICDI had
a project to clean and prepare a natural spring for people to get their
water from. We met the pastor, a young man who is obviously in love with the
Lord. He had baptized 15 people last Thursday and was glad to share that
information with us.
We went down to the site where the spring is located, a little trek (400
meters), going downhill. There we learned the story of how the entire
village of approximately 200 people came together for two weeks to work on
the spring. This project cost about $2,500 and the end result is that a
couple of hundred people now have clean water to drink and cook with. The
people are also healthier than in some of the villages we have visited.
The story of how the work in that particular village got started would take
another post on this blog. For now, let me just say that the missionary
brought a team who showed the Jesus movie with great difficult. Three bulbs
burned on the projector and the last spare one burn right at the time when
Pilate was going to give the answer as to whether Jesus should be crucified
or not. The missionary had to tell the rest of the story but no one was
disappointed. They all came forward when given an invitation to accept
Christ. About thirty of those people stuck to their commitment and form the
core of the church in that location now.
If there are "ends" of the world, Bayanga is one of them. The people who
live here, and especially the Pygmies, are the least of the least. They have
been forsaken by everyone, except by God. I marvel at God's plan to bring a
family from Sweden, a couple with five children, to leave everything and
follow Him to bring the good news to those who are treated like dirt. God's
heart for the least of these never ceases to amaze me.
Praise God with me for people like Thomas and Lena. Their example should
inspire all of us!
Forgive me again for the typos. I am composing this under a fading 12 volt
system light, and don't have much time to check the spelling. Jim is getting
ready to send it via a satellite phone. I also know that in the transmission
process, the paragraphs break up in a funny way. I hope you understand. Keep
sending those comments!
We are all well.
Pastor Ivanildo Trindade
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