New Profile Picture Story

The picture above is from my trip to Africa in January 2005. We were in a town in Tanzania called Babati. This picture was taken shortly after we had presented our clowning mime for the village children. We attracted a lot of attention in this small city; we saw no other white people in that area while we were there. Some of the people in this village loved us and others yelled at our bus in protest. We learned through our native friend that the only white people that come to Babati are missionaries and stick out like a sore thumb.

People began to figure out our daily routine, where we were staying and where we were eating. Crowds began to gather outside the restaurant and at the end of our meals we were greeted with curious onlookers. After we had been there a couple of days we decided to take advantage of our admirers and do a clown show for them! And were they ever delighted! The children gathered close to watch us as the adults stood at a distance. We were cautious as we presented the gospel, knowing there was some resistance to the message of Christ, but excited for the opportunity. After we "clowned around" (haha) the children pressed against us, chattering and touching our skin and hair. The adults even ventured closer, thus the reason I was able to get the above picture.

We threw out frisbees that said, "Tembea na Yesu" which means, "Follow after Jesus." I would take a stack of 10-15 frisbees in my hand and throw them all at once. They fly every where, causing the children to run and laugh in all directions. They would gather them up and bring them back to me. I threw them again shouting, "Tembea na Yesu!"

After throwing the stack of frisbees a dozen times it was time for us to go. We loaded onto our bus and headed to another day of visiting orphans... thankful that we had taken the time to share the gospel to these that were curious about the white men! Obviously, we were not arrested for sharing in a public place, nor were we harrassed (which we were surprised)!

I long to go back to Africa. We are not able to go with our team in January of 2007. I am sad, but know that God will take me where He wants me to go... maybe deep into the heart of Thailand or to the slums of Bombay, India. I am confident that God used our words to spread His message to these young lives in the middle of the African desert!

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Isaiah 55:10-11