The Cost of Reaching the Lost in Africa
“…Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) These words encapsulate the desire of my heart – to be where the Lord is and to go where He is sending me because in Him alone will I find true satisfaction. If I had a choice I would do a thousand other things. But I can’t. Not anymore.” This has been the cry of Merly Suarez’s* heart, ever since she trained in Asian Center for Missions more than 6 years ago. After doing 5 years of missionary work in China, Merly humbly took heed to God’s leading and is now preparing to obey God’s calling to reach out to the Zanzibaris of Tanzania, Africa.
The island of Zanzibar is situated off the coast of Tanzania. It is characterized by its captivating sandy beaches and coral reefs that are rich in marine diversity. It is a tourist destination, a paradise! But for Merly, “I am apprehended by the love of Jesus for the lost. This time, He turns my face and allows me to see how He grieves for the Swahili-Zanzibaris of Tanzania. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of the 450,000 Zanzibaris have been living in the shackles of Islam for centuries.”
Confirming the new season in Merly’s life, she has been accepted in Youth with a Mission Discipleship Training School in Arusha, Tanzania, Africa. God further confirms her calling by miraculously providing in less than 3 months $ 4, 250.00, the amount that she needed to raise so she can go, stay and be trained in Arusha for 10 months.
Empowered by Christ’s love for the Zanzibaris, Merly is determined to prepare herself to reap a great harvest despite of drought, power rationing or power outages, contaminated water- unfit for bathing and especially for drinking, problems in sending emails, and malaria-like Influenza.
Trying to look at things positively, Merly shares how she manages in a place so far away from home, “I’m adjusting well with the food. Base food pretty much ranges from beans and rice, ugali and sukumawiki, pilao with or without meat, chapatti and beans, makande (corn and beans; a Tanzanian favorite), and spaghetti with potatoes; and even with the weather, its monsoon season.”
God continues to mold her as she learns to give up her rights so she can be more effective as His witness to the lost. Merly is trying her best to manage as she is living so closely with people, sharing her dorm with 8 others. She also lives in a community of 70 plus construction workers. She recounts, “It is getting to me at times. The introvert in me is kicking in, crying out for some peace and quiet…to think my own thoughts without having to explain to people. I feel guilty for being selfish, and at the same time I feel very violated when people keep infringing on my privacy…when people just want to chat and I don’t, when people want to borrow my things when I’m using them, or eat my food when I want to save them for later. All these just don’t make sense when you’re reading Making Jesus Christ Lord by Loren Cunningham which talks about giving up one’s rights. And not only that, the lesson this week is on the Cost of Discipleship and Giving Up Rights.”
Merly is not only learning theories and principles on discipleship but she is experiencing the cost of it by letting go comfort, technology, basic needs, and even her own personality. Amidst all these she sees and hears the heart of God in the simplest of ways such as finding hope after seeing a double rainbow at the end of the monsoon.
She is truly being prepared by God to reach the Zanzibaris. Her classes are being held both in English and Swahili, a language which is spoken extensively in East Africa. Many believe that the purest form of Swahili (known locally as Kiswahili) is spoken in Zanzibar as it is the birth place of the language.
Through the outreaches that they do for her class a lot of people received salvation and healing. Just last April 17-21 they went to a place called Kikatiti. They were able to show 5 films including Jesus Film and The Passion of Christ. They conducted seminars and showed skits before each session. Merly was also given the chance to speak on the last day as she shared, “…children stood up for prayers every single time for 5 consecutive nights...” They also visited homes, the nearby orphanage with more than 50 children, a primary and secondary school, and a local dispensary.
Outside of class, Merly grabs every opportunity to share Christ’s love to others. In one of her emails, she mentioned, “Wherever the Lord plants me, I find that one of the things He wants me to do is to encourage people around – through words, giving gifts or just spending time with them. It is something that I truly enjoy…” In one Sunday, She was even invited to speak at a building near where she stays and, she sincerely relates, “I shared about having clean hands and pure hearts before God (Psalm 24). It was heart-warming to preach my first sermon in Tanzania. The simplicity of the lives of the people touched me. I felt more privileged for having been there…”
