For the past couple years I have been making it a practice to try and visit a few of the surrounding areas outside of Nagishot; my desire is to establish relationships and connections with people from those areas which will make it easier for future teams to come and work with the Didinga people.
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| Hiking to Thuguru |
Some of these areas are more comfortable to visit than others. Thuguru has never been an easy area for me. People just aren't as friendly. One time we were even threatened to be shot. Trying to find a compound (group of huts/family) that would be welcoming was rare.
About a year ago, I found a compound with a group of elderly people. They told me that they were old and could not walk or help in the fields. I remember grinning to myself thinking, " Ah ha, a captive audience!" Over the past year I have been visiting this compound about twice a month and slowly they have become more welcoming and their children don't scream when they see us coming from a distance. The progress is real folks ;)
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| Some of the kids on the compound |
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Two months ago, Lisa and I were visiting this compound when Luturi (the older man on the compound) looked up to me and asked, "Can God heal me and make me walk again?" Mentally I began immediately going through a theological crisis about how to answer this question, but I replied, "Yes God can heal you, He alone is the healer but God also wants to heal your heart." At this, Luturi looked at Lisa and me and saying plainly, "We don't know God on this mountain; You have him in Nagishot, but I am lame and can not walk there to hear... Will you teach us about God?"
You can imagine Lisa's and my reactions as we rejoiced to hear a seeking heart.
"If you can not go church, we will bring church to you," we agreed.
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| Lisa on the hike to Thuguru |
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| Luturi's compound |
Since that time, short-termer Lisa and myself, along with Lokolang, a local believer, have been going to share God's word with Luturi and his compound each Saturday. They eat up the stories with vivid enthusiasm. Sometimes it takes a while to get through the stories with the constant interruptions like, " What was Eve thinking to disobey God?!" Or misunderstandings like, "Their eyes were opened...were they blind before?" And thoughts like, "This is why everything is broken and we have hunger..."
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| Natiki |
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| Luturui |
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| Toto |
It's been a truly exciting time. Lokolang and his wife Nadodo both came with us to Thuguru this last week. I don't think Lokolang's wife is a believer quite yet, but she is curious and getting close. It's also exciting to see Lokolang share his faith with His own people and relatives.
Please pray for this area called Thuguru, that God's word would continue to go out and impact lives with joy and that the hills would be full of praise to our God!!
