Just Like Me
Joel Moriba Onivogui - Directeur de Mission EPEG
Dashed were my idealistic hopes of blow-by-blow blogging during my recent March trip to Paris, Turkey and Guinea. But over the next weeks, I hope to unpack and share the blessings I received throughout the 18 days of travel.
The Gift of Collegiality
When my grandfather first shared some of the benefits of teaching Bible College, he emphasized the depth of relationships between colleagues and students. “Michael”, he said (with his trademark look that meant ‘Are you listening? This is important!’ ), ”I could go anywhere in the world, and there would be someone there to take me in.”
While in Guinea, International Worker Dan Ibsen often arranged meetings for us with local pastors and national leaders. I think it was my favorite part, because it offered an insight into the relationships between our workers and Guineans, as well as the hopes and dreams of the people God has raised up for Kingdom leadership in that country.
One such meeting involved Pastor Joel. After initial introductions, Joel was asked to share his ministry. He told us about how the EPEG (Alliance churches in Guinea) has begun over the past few years to send out their own ministry people to live and work among the unreached cultures present in Guinea. His task was helping make sure that their missionaries had the training they needed, and also to visit and cast vision among churches and pastors about God’s heart for the nations, so that they support these bold workers in doing what seemed impossible – to cross tribal boundaries and present Christ.
My ears perked up – hey, that’s what I do! Though I think he does much more of the direct overseeing of missions work than I do, we were able to compare notes on rallying churches to the bigger picture of reaching those who have not yet heard; what it’s like to meet with pastors who have concerns about how to fit this into the priorities of church life; how our workers can become discouraged when the work shows little fruit.
In other words, we were facing the same stuff. The Guinean church is asking it’s people to look beyond their own people, even though there is a world of need there too, and sacrifice their resources, and some of them even to go and live among another culture that may reject them. They are being challenged to stand firm, and hold forth the gospel in an ethnically diverse, majority muslim country.
Despite opposition, God’s redemptive purposes keep moving forward…..
And here’s another thought for reflection: there’s a “you” in Guinea, too! In fact, all over the world, there are believers “sowing in tears” (Psalm 126), hope against hope, that God would bring his harvest. We really are the same, much more so than we think.
Mike:
I came back from the trip with the same kind of impression. When talking to the pastors in Guinea, and to the international workers, I heard their heart for “their people” and heard the same kind of concerns that I have for my congregation here in northern Alberta. They were concerned that their congregation were not willing to reach cross-culturally in their country. They were concerned that youth growing up in the church were not embracing the life of holiness. They were concerned that people were so busy with their own pursuits that they were forgetting eternal perspective. Those are the same concerns that I have. From my perspective, their struggle is more difficult than mine, because of fewer resources at their disposal, how few believers there are in relation to the overall population, and often having to be involved in some sort of “tent making” venture because they are not fully supported. Having heard their heart, I now feel closer to them, and know even better how to pray for them. We are not very much different from each other.