Walking as Light
Walking as Light
"Africa has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him!" As you walk into Central Africa Baptist College's main entrance, these words are displayed for all to see. It made me think: could we replace Africa for America and say the same thing of ourselves? It also reminded me of this year's theme at Noblesville Baptist Church, Walking as Light, with the reference of Matthew 5:14. In the time we have spent here in Kitwe at the college, it is so encouraging to see these men from all parts of Africa that are studying at CABC with the goal of going back into their communities and sharing the good news. Each student has a special story, and getting a chance to hear their testimonies is an incredible blessing. Some of these men are married with family that they leave to come here and study. They are truly walking as light. Today was our last chance to work at CABC and the Link Business Park. Scott Shepard was again hard at work behind the wheel of the tractor, moving the red Earth to make way for concrete. When it was time for the group to head out to our evening activity, Scott stayed behind to try to accomplish as much as possible. Pastor Hack was busy painting the front of the building. After priming it the day before, he was busy as a one-man painting crew. Josh Hanji and Kyle Morrow were again in the "crow's nest" doing the same, apply the final paint to mark their task complete. Donovan Zachary and I were challenged with replacing ceiling tiles on the second floor of the college. Water damage in several areas have caused the tiles to warp and badly needed attention. For two men that have no carpentry experience, we were pleased with the way God used us in this way. But we're also proclaiming no expertise in the area. Several times we had assistance from some of the students, and it was very-much appreciated. It was during these times that we had a chance to talk to them and learn their stories. This evening the five of us (minus Scott) took part in a youth group event for Kitwe Church, Phil Hunt's latest upstart. Roughly 27 people were part of the night, and Pastor Hack entertained the teens and adults with a variety of games and a devotional. Phil said that many of the teens are fairly new Christians, and some of them have even encouraged their parents to check out the ministry. The parents have followed suit, as they wanted to know what had grabbed their children's interests and enthusiasm. It was a long day, as we made it back to the college at 8:30, but it was once again a great experience. For the second day rain played a part in our afternoon. We lost power at the college and the job site beginning around 2 p.m., and it was restored not long before we returned this evening. The rain began a little after 5:30, and it was fairly constant throughout the evening, at times hard and other times a light sprinkle. Tomorrow morning we will head to Faith Children's Village and spend time there before moving on to connect with Dave Barnhouse, Doug Pennington and Lee Shaw for the balance of our time here. It will be a great opportunity to see the ministry going on there. Pray that we will have safe travels there, as the road that we take to get to FCV is prone to washouts this time of year. Pray that we will be a blessing to the children as we get to see God's work firsthand. Finally, pray that we can take to heart the message on display in the CABC lobby and at NBC, and that we will strive to walk as light and be fully and wholly consecrated to Him!