Is God Truly God??

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believer, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."  Romans 1:16-17

As we mapped this past week, we spent time talking with several young women who shared they live with constant hopelessness & uncertainity. Because they have little education & few job opportunities, manny have turned to prostitution to survive. They also shared they rely on witch doctors for blessings & protection from curses.

As they spoke, it was difficult to hold back my emotions. Our national partners & I shared the hope of the gospel with them & encouraged them as best we could. After we left, I found a moment to just cry as I was heart broken. 

The lost used that conversation to convict me. I had started the day feeling tired and, if I'm honest, not excited about mapping. Yet here were women desperately searching for hope & truth, while I had come with a selfish attitude. In that moment, the Lord reminded me where my focus needed to be-- on Him alone. He is the One who sustains me & gives me the strength to do the work He has called me to.

The Lord taught me that lesson more than once this week.

Near the end of the week, my teammate & I received a last minute invitation to attend a youth conference for high school seniors. It was hosted by a Christian organization which intentionally invests in students across the country, helping them grow spiritually. As we arrived, I was asked to share a devotional--- that same morning. I immediately felt anxious, unprepared, and once again focused on my own inadequacies.

But through prayer, the Lord gave me peace & helped me share what He had placed on my heart. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be used by Him and that He allowed me to share with so many students.

We had meaningful conversations with the leadership, shared our testimonies, & encouraged one another. It was such a sweet time of fellowship!

This was one of the harder weeks for me, but the Lord taught me so much. He reminded me again that He is worthy of my complete trust, faith, and obedience. Praise God that He is in control-- not me.

As I reflected during my quiet time this morning, not only on this week but on the past several months, I realized one of the greatest lessons the Lord has been teaching me: 

Quit limiting God's ability because of your inability. Is God truly God, or is He not?

As we head into our final full week of ministry, please pray:

• Pray against the strongholds of witchcraft & the prosperity gospel that have led so many away from the truth of Christ. 
• Pray we will continue to depend fully on the Lord, remain faithful & intentional in the work He has given us & serve with grateful hearts & open hands. 

-Shesa

Campus Evangelism & Discipleship

We have to start right now!!

Our team is mapping across the city of better understand the community & its youth. We're also helping national partners, churches and the Baptist mission to make intentional strides to connect with & disciple the next generation.

Every day we hear stories of hopelessness, especially from young people who believe the life they have is all they'll every know. The other day, we met a group of boys playing pool. After sharing the hope of the gospel, several expressed a desire to change but admitted it was difficult because of peer pressure & the surrounding culture. 

In that moment, they decided to start their own "youth group," crating a WhatsApp group with one of our national partners & asking our field supervisors to keep coming back to walk alongside them.

As we walked away, nearly half of the boys put down their pool cues and said, "We can't wait for someone to come back & lead us... we have to start right now!"

This place has often felt dark & hopeless, despite being known as a Christian country. But moments like these remind us that God can take something small & use it for something far greater. Even a little light shines brightly in the darkness. 

• Pray with us for these boys. Pray their desire for something more than hopelessness will urge them to want to learn more about the true giver of hope... Jesus Christ!!

-Alisha

Campus Evangelism & Discipleship

Sub-Sahara Africa