A Day of Small Beginnings...

Today was a different sort of day. None of our plans seemed be working out. We planned to head down to the Pygmy village early in the afternoon to show the Jesus Film and a video on animism vs. Christianity. So this group of "doing" Americans had a lot of trouble being still and waiting to go. The guys in the group had to work on the generator and VCR set up to make sure it worked for the night, the driver was needed to go and get supplies for things that weren't working, so that left the women and kids feeling rather useless.

But that was just the beginning. Because of my lack of electrical knowledge, this won't be completely precise, but I'll do my best. First, none of the converter plugs we brought would fit right with the equipment. Second, we realized that American and European VCRs are different and we had an American VCR, but a European video on Christianity vs. Animism. Not knowing this problem, the men stuck the tape in to test it out and the VCR ate it. At this point the situation was looking pretty bleak. Jeana had gone down to see how things were going and reported the situation to us women and the kids. We all looked at each other and said: "This is definitely what Satan wants. We better start praying hard."

We all prayed together that God would work out what seemed like an impossible situation: the wrong plugs, an eaten Animism tape, and the Jesus Film yet to be found in Sango. As we prayed, we thanked God that He brought us to this point, reminding us that nothing was in our control as much as we like to think it is. Sadly, I don't think we would have felt the urgency to pray if things didn't look so impossible. After we all prayed, Jeana went down to see how things were going and Tim and Rob were praying too! Tom had gone to the GBIM mission to pick up a copy of the Jesus Film in Sango that they had just called and said they had! When Tom returned, not only did He have the Jesus Film, but also the one on Animism! And I believe it was our driver Gustov who came back with plugs that would work for the generator! All of this right after we all went to the Lord and asked Him to help us in our time of need. Things seemed to be working, so we packed up and headed to the Pygmy village about 2 hours later than intended.

I get chills as I am thinking about this, friends, as this was just the beginning of God's work! We drove the hour it takes to get to the Pygmy villages. We were actually showing the video in the school yard of the neighboring Central African village because it was the best place to show it and we didn't want the Pygmy's to get harassed for "special treatment" from the "boundjou" (white people). We had not yet been able to confer with the village Chief that showing this would be OK. Another big prayer item.

We got there and He was fine with it. Answer to prayer number who knows what! As we began setting up, tons of Central African children came over watching with curiosity and excitement. I was glad to see that, but what I really wanted was some of the Pygmies to be there too. I had prayed that on the way there several times. So I looked toward their village, and I saw Sula and Dana walking towards me! These are the two little girls in the picture with me (Laura) on the first day we went to the village. They are some of the most shy, quiet girls you will meet. Usually, when other Central African kids were around, they would always stay in the background or leave. But today they came up and shook mine and Barb's hand.


I put my arm around both of them and they stood with me. All the Central African children were looking at them and they just held on tighter. I asked God to show me how to model His love for the Pygmies to those who thought of them as subhuman. You have to understand what a reversal of treatment this was. The "important" white people were showing "preferential treatment" to the Pygmy kids! This clearly baffled most of the Central African children and made them jealous. My point was not to exclude the other children, but to convey love to the Pygmies that both the Pygmies felt and the Central Africans saw.

It only gets better. We started to show the video on animism and the crowd was still pretty rowdy. Dana and Sula sat on mine and Barb's lap on a towel I had brought to sit on while we watched. Many of the small children were still watching us, not the video. I was a little concerned that it was so loud and that the teenage boys seemed more into showing off than paying attention. But then the Jesus film started, and it was almost complete silence except for a few small children. There were no two people watching as intently as little Dana and Sula. Dana sat on my lap holding and stroking my hand, while Sula sat in between me and Barb resting her arms on both of us. Barb truly played grandma as she had about five other kids piled around her.

The crowed watched intently and respectfully. When Jesus rose at the end, many of them clapped and cheered, "J-zu, J-zu!" (meaning Jesus Jesus!). There is a prayer at the end of the film for those who want to ask Christ into their hearts. There were many "amens" said at the end of that prayer. I do not know how many people asked Christ to forgive their sins or be in their life. But I know that the Spirit was working. The Gospel was heard by hundreds and the love of Christ was shown to the least of these that night.

When we returned home that night, we prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and a prayer for all those there that night. Looking back on that seemingly "useless" day in the beginning, we all said we wouldn't have traded it for the world. Here we were, a bunch of Americans who have all the material comforts and electrical commodities one could desire. But we were sitting on African soil under a beautiful African sky with two Pygmy children sitting on our laps. These children would return home to a house of branches and sticks. We all were intently watching a generator run video of the greatest news that has ever been given to mankind. My friends, we are privileged beyond measure to get to serve our God in such a way! Our God IS an awesome God.

Laura Gibson
Wednesday February 28th, 2007