HOW COSTLY CAN IT GET?
While on a field trip to Kenya the above question kept ringing when I visited our missionaries serving in different parts of the country. I found myself in a bus that was full of “strangers” and I felt my life was at risk especially because I was travelling at night. How strange? When it was prayer time they all got out of the bus and said their evening prayers on the road side. Worst still when you have two Army men to escort our bus. A lot of things went through my mind. I don’t remember when I last felt as insecure and yes I had to trust God through the journey.
On arrival in the morning I was welcomed by several missionaries and servants of God.
This month i feature Loyce Naula. An Orthopedics clinical officer serving as missionary in Marsabit Kenya.
Loyce found herself between two unreached people groups Rendiles and Boranas.
The trip to Marsabit was in itself exciting and scaring.
My highlight was when we entered into a discussion and i told them how i felt scared on my trip. and they were informing me how safe it is getting there now.
And casually a pastor shares a story “oh its now safe few years ago it was very bad, see my head this is a bullet I suffered for preaching the gospel Thank God it’s healed, I have another gunshot on my leg I am still on medication he lifts the hip joint in not so much pain. Its costly being a Christian and one must be willing to pay huge cost”. He continues narrating how recently while on a one on one witnessing someone showed up with a swarm of bees in a container and threw on him and he was hospitalized for some days.
Those are the people Loyce our missionary works with and this has influenced her worldview completely. I had gone to provide member care and just check on her and as we shared I found myself journaling and yes I thought I would share those reflections. The city which they live in is a Muslim dominated and few kilometers from them are two unreached people groups.
Loyce starts informally to share “Auntie Gill as she calls me, I love this place and the people here, because interacting with especially the two people unreached people groups is great, why? They don’t believe in anything so you introduce Christ on a clean plate. Well I love working among the Muslims here and given a chance I can spend 10 years here. However risky it sounds I love it. She continues, Auntie Gill I have learnt the peace of God, one day we woke up and there were gunshots allover and we heard that there was an attack on Christians and they had finished killing people from the Catholic Church and we were next. I picked my pass port and my national ID, because I was sure I and other missioners in the diocese were going to be killed ,I thought it would have been wise to have identification so they don’t struggle identifying my body, inside me was lots of peace which i cant explain.
Miraculously the bishop stood out and when they were about to enter he lifted his hand and asked them to dare and they ran for their lives. How we survived we all don’t know.
Loyce continues narrating how unsafe it is but she thinks someone must pay the cost, I was so impressed to see her thinking she is that person. The smile and easiness with which they shared these experiences shocked me a great deal at the same time strengthened me to keep mobilizing for global missions.
Thinking through Luke 14:25-35
To follow Jesus we must consider the cost and put him above everything else including our lives.
Three costs spelled out here .
1. We must hate our families and ourselves.
2. We must give up all our possessions.
3. We must carry our own cross.
Even now I say Yes Lord.
Comments
Post a Comment