Building Blocks to the Gospel
Building Blocks to the Gospel
by Silas (CTM Global Ministry Partner)
Back in 2003, Iba fled her home village of Targay to Zalingi due to an outbreak of fighting. She was 14 years old. The wounds on her feet were so severe from walking, that she stayed in the hospital for almost a week to allow her feet to heal. With no one to provide for her, she sought out a husband.
Iba did marry. She married a man who have been previously divorced three times. He was not a kind man. She suffered greatly with him. He physically and verbally abused her constantly. Iba and her husband had five children together before they too divorced. Alone again, Iba needed to find food for herself and now five children. Day after day, she would find work to provide for herself and her children.
I was in need of some bricks when I first met Iba. I found her laying bricks (the process of drying mud bricks in the sun) and asked her the selling price. As we spoke, she began to share with me more and more of her story.
She said that often her daily wage was not enough to provide the food needed to feed her family. I was moved by her story. I decided I needed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with her.
I told her, “My sister, you know many are going under the same circumstances but I want to share with you some good news. We are all wrong in some point and God who is perfect sees us as we truly are — as sinners. In the Bible I believe, God says he looks down and he finds no one doing right things. He sent his Son to liberate us. Now we have access to God without any mediator. You can ask God to forgive your sins and ask God for help.”
Iba did marry. She married a man who have been previously divorced three times. He was not a kind man. She suffered greatly with him. He physically and verbally abused her constantly. Iba and her husband had five children together before they too divorced. Alone again, Iba needed to find food for herself and now five children. Day after day, she would find work to provide for herself and her children.
I was in need of some bricks when I first met Iba. I found her laying bricks (the process of drying mud bricks in the sun) and asked her the selling price. As we spoke, she began to share with me more and more of her story.
She said that often her daily wage was not enough to provide the food needed to feed her family. I was moved by her story. I decided I needed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with her.
I told her, “My sister, you know many are going under the same circumstances but I want to share with you some good news. We are all wrong in some point and God who is perfect sees us as we truly are — as sinners. In the Bible I believe, God says he looks down and he finds no one doing right things. He sent his Son to liberate us. Now we have access to God without any mediator. You can ask God to forgive your sins and ask God for help.”
She said, “I would like to be clean before God.”
I told her, “Many are seeking to help themselves to be righteous before God but they are not able because it's only God who can save people.”
She asked, “How does God save people if we are to be judged by him?”
I told her, “God’s mercy and grace are demonstrated in his Son Jesus Christ and whoever believes in him will have eternal life.”
She asked, “How does God save people if we are to be judged by him?”
I told her, “God’s mercy and grace are demonstrated in his Son Jesus Christ and whoever believes in him will have eternal life.”
She said, “I can see some seriousness in what you're saying. But how can I be saved?”
I told her. “You need to confess that you are a sinner and that you admit he is your Savior and follow what he tells you to do.”
She said, “I believe!”
We prayed together and I asked her to come to the church.
She recently shared with me, “Whenever I pray to God, I see him doing what I pray. I asked God to reconnect me with my family and he did. He connected me with many members of my family. I have not heard from them since the time the war came when I was in Targay. And other things when I pray I see my God is doing it for me.”
She asked the church to pray for her. She is praying that God will give her some money to start her business to sustain her children. She said, "I would love to share the gospel with my mum and my brothers. Jesus is the true God and I believe in him he will provide for me.”
Pray for an opportunity for Iba to share the gospel with her mum and her brothers. Also, pray that God will help her with some resources (chairs and materials) to start her business. She wants to sell tea in the market one day.
She said, “I believe!”
We prayed together and I asked her to come to the church.
She recently shared with me, “Whenever I pray to God, I see him doing what I pray. I asked God to reconnect me with my family and he did. He connected me with many members of my family. I have not heard from them since the time the war came when I was in Targay. And other things when I pray I see my God is doing it for me.”
She asked the church to pray for her. She is praying that God will give her some money to start her business to sustain her children. She said, "I would love to share the gospel with my mum and my brothers. Jesus is the true God and I believe in him he will provide for me.”
Pray for an opportunity for Iba to share the gospel with her mum and her brothers. Also, pray that God will help her with some resources (chairs and materials) to start her business. She wants to sell tea in the market one day.
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