Africa to Central America–October 2018

As I’m going back over all the places the Lord has led me over the past 3 months, I’m somewhat overwhelmed. The Lord is working some awesome things throughout the globe, and it’s my privilege to participate in them, knowing that at the end of my life, when I stand before my Maker, I will say that I was only an unworthy servant who had done His duty.

So from conferences in Africa to translators and filters in Central America… here we go…

Training the Called – African Adventures

It had nearly been a year since my last trip to Africa, so imagine my excitement to have my feet back on the hard, red clay that covers seemingly every square inch of the land. We traveled immediately from the airport, arriving at the new SOS ministry headquarters, located right outside of one of the first villages I ever visited. Having stayed at many places here, I have to say, this is the nicest – no loud club music playing until 3:00 AM, no intense birthday parties going on around us, and no mosquito infested swamp to keep us slapping ourselves into late in the night.

In Africa, one of the biggest enemies of the gospel are so-called African churches where the pastors are only eager for selfish gain and teach that godliness is a means of making money. Many of these pastors live in luxury while their congregants give of their meager funds to keep the pastor in his lofty position.

Jesus taught that leaders in the church should be servants, not the high and lofty “pastors” who demand money from their people. This false gospel has taken over the churches and solid pastors have no formal training to combat the deception. Our pastors are excited about the gospel and diligent in their work, but no one has ever taken the time to train them.

This past May, we brought a small team from the States to teach a pastors’ conference, and the response was incredible. The attendees were encouraged, and we spent one night worshiping until long after midnight. It was awesome getting to be reunited with our Nigerian brothers and having the privilege to preach the gospel to men who had never heard it before. God is growing the ministry faster than we can raise up workers and funds, so pray that God will raise up the right people for the job.

“I’m Listening”

The day after the conference ended, we visited a village where we had never been – a village whose chief greeted us stoically – a village with no way out except the way we’d come if things went weird. We greeted the people warmly and especially the chief. After exchanging pleasantries, Mike explained that we were there on behalf of the God who had created all things with a message for him. He responded through our translator: “I’m listening.”

Mike then proceeded to explain the creation and fall of man, his need for salvation, and the hope of Jesus Christ which is for all people. When he finished, one of the pastors asked for permission to speak and the chief said again, “I’m still listening.”

At the end of our dialogue with the chief, with all the villagers watching, he gathered everyone close so we could pray for them, and the door seems wide open for the gospel to come into their village. Please pray that when we return that the chief will still be listening – for the salvation of him and his people!

Please also pray that God provides the funds for more water wells for the multitude of villages we love, because the need for clean drinking water is incredible.

El Salvador & Honduras Unfiltered

Speaking of clean drinking water, a month after leaving Africa, I found myself getting off a plane in El Salvador with two suitcases stocked with water filters. One of the biggest needs in developing countries without infrastructure is for clean drinking water, and a Christian businessman graciously donated 1,000 reusable water filters for us to give away free of charge – filters that could last these families for years. This meant that we had some awesome opportunities to visit people in their homes and deliver a potentially life-saving water filter that will serve them for years. One man who tried water from his new filter took one drink and declared, “Wow that is very good!”

But even more importantly, we were able to deliver the living water of Jesus Christ to thirsty souls.

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;

Isaiah 55:1-3

Found in Translation

Last March, we lost a translator on the way to Honduras. This time when the bus pulled up, we had no translator. I greeted the bus driver and noticed a young girl sitting in the car so I talked with her for a moment in Spanish and suddenly something dawned on me, “you speak English… don’t you?”

“Yes I do!” she said, and started cheerfully telling me how she’d learned it from American movies and music – and that she’d never taken English as a course. She came with her dad to drop us off in Honduras, but ended up getting so excited over what we were doing and the idea of staying with the team that she asked if she could stay. Naturally, like a good team leader I contained my excitement and said calmly, “Yes I think we can do that.”

On the inside, it was more like, “Yesssssss!!!!!”

The next day, we were ministering at a remote school in the mountains and came to the point in the program where we presented the gospel and suddenly I found myself unable to translate for Joey Rasico, the young man who was speaking. I pointed to Alejandra, asking if she could step up and translate. “Paul I can’t do that!” she said.

I shrugged, “I’ll be right up here with you” and she came up out of the crowd (to my relief).

She seemed unsure at first, but I backed away slowly as she began to translate the gospel with amazing clarity with all the kids paying careful attention to every word. (Hats off to Joey for sharing the gospel in an amazing way!)

The next day, Alejandra was translating the gospel at another school when suddenly the lightbulb went on. She later told us that day, July 12th, was the first day she’d truly understood that Jesus had indeed paid for her sin. How awesome is it that last March, the Lord gave me the ability to translate the whole trip, but with this trip, He took it away at just the right moment so that Alejandra would hear and understand and be saved?

God’s word is amazingly powerful, and Alejandra was just one of the several who came to faith this past month – among many other amazing things, even a miraculous healing.

But we do not go for the miraculous healings, nor the salvation testimonies – though both are wonderful. We go because our Lord has called us, and it is better to be with Him doing His work than anything else.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers. If you are looking to get involved in the ministry in any way, please let me know! And know that God can use you.