After the rain

Last January, a few months into dry season, I was getting tired of the view and the dust; everything was brown. I decided to plant a flower garden to bring some color to my world. I planned out the area in our yard, but one strike of the shovel into the dry ground told me that this was not going to be easy. I poured bucket after bucket of water onto the area, but it was still no easy task to break up the hard, dry ground enough to get my flowers planted. But I did it. I planted a small flower garden and even found an old birdbath to put in the center. It is a place of beauty, and even the birds that visit bring another vibrancy to the yard.

Then the rains came; three to four months of flooding downpours. Our once dry, dusty yard was now a mud pit, exploding with grass, moss, and other weeds. After the rain, when things had dried up enough, we went out to clean up the yard. We pulled out the weeds and wild grass and carted away piles of fallen, dead leaves. What we found beneath this neglected part of the yard was dark, rich soil (it cannot compare to the soil in PA, but for our context, it was perfect for planting). I got the shovel, and with ease, I dug rows to plant a small vegetable garden.

We see this as a beautiful picture of how what we see happening in the physical realm, God is working in the spiritual realm. For months, we struggled to do ministry and invest in relationships. The fair-trade company I worked with stopped their work for most of the year without explanation; we experienced cultural and generational miscommunication; and encountered the demonic world on several occasions. While good things were happening, the ground was hard, and the work was exhausting.

Then when most of our ministry stopped because of the rainy season, new opportunities seemed to fall into our laps with locals who are hungry and eager to grow. We have two young Gambians living with us as they go to school; they also participate in regular discipleship classes, Bible study, and check-ins with me. They come with questions about God, Scripture, and how to live out the things they are learning. Nate also has weekly faith conversations with Muslim men who seem very open and hungry for truth. He also meets regularly with a young pastor who is actively taking steps to foster a missional community.

The soil is rich and fertile as we move into this new season. Praise God for the rain that brought us to this place. Pray that the seeds that are being planted will be properly tended and protected so that they yield a bountiful harvest.