Dear Calvary Church Family,
“Welcome home!” This was the greeting Tom Cox and I received from a young man name Ephraim, when we saw him again for the first time since last year, as we arrived at our the hotel after an evening of teaching. Ephraim has been one of the workers at Hotel Barmoi with whom we have built a relationship over the past three years of stays. He grew up in a mixed-religion home (Islam and Christianity), and the Lord brought him to Himself a few years ago. He is among the folks we were eager to see again, and it is a blessing to be given such a welcome that reflects the welcome of God to world-weary people like us. As we reconnected with him, Ephraim said again, “This is your home away from home. I am so happy to see you!”
Hospitality is one of the marks of the culture here, and not only because the workers at Barmoi are in the hospitality industry. Rather, their hospitality that once welcomed us as strangers, now welcomes us with the warmth of friendship and home. Another example of this has been James, who is an older gentleman, who leads the dining staff during the morning shift. Two years ago, we’d go through the buffet line to get our food, and he would bring us our coffee or tea with professionalism and dignity. This year, James, who is typically stoic and understated, lit up when he saw us, and insisted that we sit, so he could serve us each part of our breakfast, though the buffet remains. As the Lord has provided the opportunity for repeated stays in this same place, James has warmed to us, even sharing today that he lost his wife five years ago, and he lives at home with his three young adult children. We are praying for an opportunity to inquire and learn about where he stands with the Lord and whether he has a relationship with Him. Please pray for opportunities to share Jesus with him over the next several days and for a relationship that moves from welcomed guests to brothers in Christ!
Please continue to pray for the work here, both as we teach each evening and as we interact with the staff of Barmoi throughout each day. Here are specific ways you can be praying for us:
Prayer Points
- Please pray for gospel conversations with Patricia, Samuel, Christiana, and Mohammed, who all work at Barmoi and with whom we have been able to briefly share Jesus.
- Please pray for conversations later today with children from the Raining Season Orphanage, as we will be talking to them about faith in Jesus and baptism.
- Please pray for tonight’s class with students from the churches of PCSL, as Tom teaches on the book of Jonah, and I teach on communicating Christ from all of Scripture. As I’ve said to them, “Unless you’ve preached Christ, you have not preached!”
- Please pray for the nearly 20 men and women who will be traveling to Sierra Leone this weekend from the US and other West African countries, both to participate in this weekend’s ordination service, as well as gather for the annual meetings of the West African Reformed Mission (W.A.R.M.)
Photos
1) View from Barmoi, our home away from home; 2) Students of PCSL learning that “Context is King;” 3) Tom giving a Bible to Hamid, a Muslim who has shown us great hospitality at Barmoi; 4) Our nightly welcome committee in our room at Barmoi.
