by Chris
I was told before we left Topeka that
our white skin would be an attraction. We've felt the stares of the
people almost the entire time. It was most blatant, however, when we
returned to The Plateau after lunch. Mr. Kajolo said, "Why
don't you and your family stay here and we'll send the people to
you?" He and the rest of the men walked through the compound,
inviting the people to come listen to the makua preach. Makua means
"white people." We have heard that word often as we walk
through the villages.
The children came first. We sat in the
middle of the "football pitch," the soccer field, and sang
Bible songs. Mostly the children just stared at us. After about
thirty minutes the adults started to arrive. I got up to move to the
adult group and Abson came to join Angie and the kids in order to
translate for them. They sang more songs and told a Bible story.
Mr. Kajolo had Joseph lead a couple of
songs for the adults and then introduced me. I preached with a
translator again, breaking my sentences up into brief thoughts. I
told them a little about my own experience with a messenger of God,
people who came to point me to Christ. I shared with them what the
Bible says about sin and separation from God. We were created by God
to be with him and he is our greatest joy, our greatest satisfaction.
Without him we will always be dissatisfied. And there's nothing we
can do about it. But Jesus has already done everything about it. He
volunteered to be sacrificed on a Roman cross in order to bring us to
God.
With the winter sun hanging low on the
Zambian horizon, burning the back of my pale neck and turning the
elephant grass into waving gold, twelve people stood and wanted to be
restored to him.
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