Victory in the face of defeat

The outlook for Christians here is definitely not good. I'm in one of the ten most highly persecuted countries in the world, which has been listed as high as number three (behind North Korea and Saudi Arabia), and, on top of that, the country has a lower average annual income than Haiti. There is not very much that supports people coming to Christ. People even receive serious pressure from their families. One man who came to Christ in the past year was completely shunned by his friends, and when he refused to pray and give offerings to spirits, his family began to put serious pressure on him because they believe that they will be cursed if he didn't take part in the rituals. Others still are beaten and killed by members of their own village. There are many problems that come along with being a believer, and the source of much of it is fear.

Despite all of this, there are people that are turning to their Savior. Over the past few weeks, a certain local person who will remain unnamed, made it known that she was questioning her beliefs. She has had several dreams since then, and has been asking many questions. In the past two days, she has decided to become a believer and be baptized. It's just so exciting to see God working in the peoples' lives when it seems as if everything around them is against it. God can be glorified anywhere, and I am glad to be taking part in that here and now.

This type of change really helps me see purpose for why I'm here. This trip is not just for sightseeing and studying. It is preparation for the future and for the building of God's Kingdom. I have gone, and will go, way too far from home and everything I am used to for it to be wasted on anything else other than God being glorified.