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Written by Cafe 1040 Overseas Staff
"I HAVE PLACED MY RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS." GENESIS 9:13 (NLT)
God sent a rainbow after the storm as a sign of his covenant and promise with Noah to never wipe out the earth again. Rainbows remind us of God's promises and the hope we have in Him. Recently I was reading the story of Noah with my children and realized while reading the above verse that God placed His rainbow IN the clouds. It wasn't after the clouds or on a bright sunny day, but IN the clouds. That simple word “in” brought tears to my eyes as I reflected on how this season of ministry has been a season of trusting God in the midst of the “clouds” covering His eternal promises. We believe that the Great Commission is not just one verse found at the end of the book of Matthew, but is a command by God found in the whole Bible. His heart is for ALL people of ALL nations! One day we will be gathered around the throne of God with people from every nation, every tribe, and every language worshipping Him (Revelation 7:9).
One thing I’ve learned in nearly six years of living and doing full-time ministry in North Africa is that Jesus was at work LONG before I entered the scene and my job is not to come with an agenda to reach all the people, but to walk in obedience and always be ready to give an answer for the hope I have in Him.
We have seen His promises and we have so much to celebrate with you!
WE HAVE A NEW SISTER IN NORTH AFRICA!
Three years ago, we were in desperate need of a new language teacher for the students. We reached out to a local friend for help and a few days later he arrived at our house with one of his students from the local university that he felt would be a good fit for us. In my human mind, I had no idea how we would find a replacement for the amazing teacher we previously had, but God knew. Immediately when I met S* I was captivated by the joy that exuded from her and the peace that I felt when she opened her mouth. I only knew this young woman long enough to kiss her cheeks (Arabic greeting) but could tell that Jesus was at work in her life.
Semester after semester while doing life alongside the students we learned more and more about S* and her story. She became increasingly more curious about Jesus as each student group revealed more of Christ’s characteristics to her. After years of student group after student group playing the roles of Paul and Apollos (1 Corinthians 3) in S*’s life, the time came when what God had grown in her heart was ripe for harvest.
On October 28th, 2019 our dear friend S* sat in our living room and placed her hope and trust in Jesus!
After we said “amen” she started sharing her testimony with me again. She had first heard of Jesus when she was five and her uncle called her whole family to gather around the TV to laugh and mock at a former Muslim man sharing about the hope he had found in Jesus on national TV. As a five-year-old this message of hope penetrated her heart and she never forgot it, even though she had no one she to ask more questions about it to. She rejected Islam when she was 12 because the god of Islam scared her, but she always knew that there was a God. She believed that God was not scary, but loving and kind. Through her revelations and study of the Word, she came to realize that the God of the Bible is the one she had always believed in and always hoped she’d find.
S* is in a season of persecution; so much has been stripped away from her. As we stood in my kitchen crying together and rejoicing over her decision to follow Jesus, she said to my husband and I, "I don't need anything but Jesus. If He is all I have then I have everything." May her words be true for all followers of Jesus! He is all we need! Please join us in praying for S*. Pray for her endurance in the hardships and joy as she obediently follows Jesus. Like the Parable of the Sower in Matthew, pray for the Word of God to grow deep roots in her heart.
"The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Matthew 13:23
We can't wait for the day that you will get to meet her face-to-face! It gives us chills to think of her reaching Heaven and meeting the hundreds, if not thousands of people who have cried out to Heaven on her behalf. It takes an army in this battle for souls. Thank you for being a part of this army on S*'s behalf. We can't wait for you to meet her!
Rejoice with us and the angels of God!
“...there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
— Luke 15:10
