City on a Hill

Walking the dirt paths of the village as the sun set was like going back in history or standing in the pages of National Geographic. It felt surreal, and I almost wanted to blink my eyes or pinch my skin to wake me up from this beautiful dream, but I knew that this was real. The barefoot children holding my hands and smiling shyly whenever their gaze caught mine were real. The ancient, larger-than-life baobab tree and its chalky fruit that that tastes like natural fruit loops was real. The women drawing water out of an open well, three at a time in a rythmyic dance, was real. Life in the village is very real, very raw. It is very simple, yet very hard. 

When our team arrived in this village, we immediately noticed its distinct characteristics that set it apart from the rest. Most Dagara villages are flat and spread out across a plain, but this little village was tucked away in the hills. We parked the cars right beside one of these small mountains and then ascended to the sound of singing and dancing drawing us closer and closer to the top. At the summit sat a large hangar where the church meets, and they were already in full motion as we arrived. Wegreeted  each member one by one, shaking their hands and looking into their weathered, happy eyes that sparkled with their wide, sometimes toothless smiles. From this church site, you have a panoramic view of the surrounding horizon, uneven and dynamic because of the mountains, and the little village huts in the valleys below with smoke rising from their evening fires. It was stunningly gorgeous. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 

That's when we decided to take a walk through the village at sunset, and we gathered a small following of children that transformed our stroll into a parade of sorts. As we walked, we soaked in the atmosphere of the village and just became African for a moment. We gathered more and more children as we went, rolling along and gaining size and momentum like a black snowball, and then ascended the church hill one more time. 

It was atop this hill on this evening that we did a Bible story program for the children and showed the Jesus film three times (once regularly, and then a special version for women and another version for children) to a crowd of several hundred people spread atop the hillside like a forth of July fireworks party. It was here that we hung our hammocks under the church hangar and didn't fall asleep until 3:00 am because of the excitement and activities of the day. It was here that we woke up and discovered that the village had posted men to watch over us through the night and women to pray in the morning. It was here on the next morning that we distributed widow sacks - a gift of fabric, shoes, soap, grain, sleeping mats, and other supplies - in a special program specifically to honor widows in the church. It was here that we passed out dresses for young girls, prayed over the sick, and gave a blessing on the church. 

After our 24-hour village excursion, we came back with dirty feet, messy hair, and sparkling eyes from satisfied hearts. Our desire was to go to this village and meet this church in order to bless them, but it seems like we were the ones that received the greater blessing. Yes, we shared the Word of God, encouraged the church, blessed the widows, loved the children, strengthened the pastors, and prayed for the sick. Yet what we received was the opportunity to walk their paths, hear their songs, sleep under their hangar, and watch their sunrise. We received their hospitality, generosity, and love even in their poverty, and that kind of thing touches the heart deeply in a way that cannot be undone. 

That's what love does. That's what Christ does. He unites brothers and sisters from across the world. He mixes the rich ones with the poor ones and shows us that life isn't about the abundance of our possessions but about the love and the song in our hearts. And when we share that one thing in common, we get a glimpse of heaven and what it's like to be in pure relationship with God and each other. 

That's why this village trip plucked a chord in our hearts. It was the chord of heaven, a day that we await when all peoples and cultures and tongues and tribes will be together under one hangar, worshipping the one God and glorying in him for eternity. 

"What's your favorite thing about living in Africa?" people ask, and this short term team from Fellowship Bible Church that came this past week and went out to this village was no exception. They asked the same question, but they also got to experience the answer. 

Jesus ministry on earth was characterized by his travel from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing the sick. I think what we experienced together this week with the short term team was pretty close to the same thing, and it's what we as a missionary team get to experience and try to imitate day after day. It's just about as close as I've ever been to walking in the footsteps of Jesus. 

My favorite thing about living life here in Africa or anywhere is simply living alongside people. Walking their paths. Eating their food. Touching their skin. Talking their language. And reaching their hearts with the love of Jesus. I love seeing how they live, sharing this life with them, and blessing them when I can. I love waking up with the sole purpose of loving and serving others. I love the simplicity, slowness, and emphasis on relationships. That's what life is about, and it's what missions is about, too.

It makes me hungry for home. Our heavenly home. Until we climb that hill and reach that city where there won't even been need for a sun because the Son will shine in his brilliance, we will love this world and shine like a city on a hill, and we will walk the paths of these villages, preaching and healing and proclaiming the kingdom of God for the glory of Jesus.