This is a real conversation that I had with a M*slim man named Adam a few weeks ago while I was doing research in some villages. It was getting later in the day and we decided that the next village we would come to would be the last one that day so that we could get back to town before dark. We came into Adam's village and we entered into his compound. When we entered his compound he and his family and friends were sitting, visiting, and shelling peanuts. We sat down with Adam and his family and began shelling peanuts and talking with them. We told them that we are people who lift up requests to the Father. After we had lifted up their requests we kept talking with Adam. Adam's father was sitting there with us and he mentioned that he had become blind due to old age and so I asked if I could tell them a story. They said yes, so I told them the story about the man who was born blind who was healed by JC. This led into a conversation about the Father and the free gift that He has offered to us. It was a really great time, sharing the Good News with Adam and his family.
After sharing a few stories and talking for a few hours we had to leave and head back to town. Before we left, Adam asked me when we were going to come back, because he has friends that he wanted us to share stories with. He said to us that what we shared has to be true. This was not the first time that Adam had heard the Good News, and he said that because we had come and shared the same things with him, that it had to be true. We said that if the Father wills it, that we would return and share more stories with them.
That night I couldn't stop thinking about Adam and his family. I couldn't stop thinking about how close Adam was to the Truth. So the next morning we called Adam and asked him to meet us outside of his village so we could talk with him. He agreed and we met. We asked him if he had been thinking more about the stories that we had shared with him. He said that he had a conversation with his father after we had left. He told his father that he wanted to follow the Truth and that he knew what we had shared was true. His father told him that if he followed the Truth that he would lose his family, his home...he would lose everything. This sadly is a reality for many of the people we share with. Here in West Africa you culture is your identity. When you decide to leave I*lam and follow the Truth, you lose who you are in society and your family.
I was so excited when Adam told us that he knew the Truth was the true road. After hearing this I asked Adam if he wanted to accept the free gift that the Father was offering him. Adam said that he still needed to think about it. He said that he knew it would be hard if he followed because he would be alone. I shared the story of Paul with him as a way to encourage him. I wanted to share with him that even if he felt alone that the Father would still be with him. I told Adam that the Father would always be offering the free gift to him. I shared that no matter what, the Father would always be waiting for him and that He loves him. Before we left, we gave Adam an SD card with some stories in his heart language on it. He said that he would listen to the stories that day. My hope as we were driving away was that Adam would listen to those stories and that they would help him to say yes and accept the Father's free gift. Please lift up Adam and his village, that they would come to know the Truth and that they would choose to follow the true road.
