“In Bubanza a drunkard became a storyteller and then he went to the witch doctor and now that old man has become a church planter and even now the whole village has embraced the Gospel.”
Your gift of water filters and clean water was the catalyst! They often use water filters as a way to show the love of Jesus to those suffering from sickness due to the polluted water carried from the river for drinking, washing, and cooking.
After praying, Jonas and Meshack made the long, arduous journey by motorbike west to the village of Masha in Bubanza. On arrival, they encountered many men sitting in groups under the trees drinking local brew. Led to one such group, they sat down and talked with a man named Paschal (pictured with his wife). They discovered the extreme poverty and high level of disease and sickness in the area, so they had entry to discuss bacteria and the need to clean their water. As they talked, Meshack asked Paschal if he could tell him a story, which Paschal willingly agreed to. So, he told him the Bible story of the very rich man and poor, sickly Lazarus. Paschal really loved that story and asked Meshack if he would come to his home and tell the same story to his two wives and nine children. Meshack agreed and also took a water filter with him.
When Meshack reached Paschal’s home, he taught the family about hygiene and the value of clean water and how to use the water filter. Then they all sat together while he told them the story about the sickly beggar Lazarus. After that, he then asked each of the family members how they saw the story, what did it mean to them? When it was Paschal’s turn, he said, “When you were speaking the story, I see my life is like that rich man. Sometimes I have something but I do not take care of my own family.” Then he announced, “I will stop making and drinking local wine and stop hitting my wife and children. I will now take care of them.”
Soon after that Paschal wanted Meshack to go with him to the home of the local witch doctor. The entire village was terrified of this man because of his evil powers. When they went to his home, the witch doctor was very surprised to learn that they had come not to buy a spell but to tell him something. Paschal started in, “Salvator, you know all of us very well here in this village. I am here only because I want to tell you about my story and what has happened. I heard a story from Meshack and now my life has changed.”
Curious to know what exactly had happened, Salvator wanted to know more, and as Paschal told him the same story about the rich man and Lazarus, the witch doctor looked at him and said, “I have been doing many wrong things. There are so many conflicts between people and they come and want me to put a spell on someone to kill them.” Paschal went on to tell the witch doctor his testimony, of baptism, and how his life was changing. The witch doctor said, “I’m getting so very old and I’ve been behaving so badly using all these things to kill people who are innocent. I do not want to die like this rich man.” After that he confessed all of the things he had been doing for so many years and was baptized. Soon after, the old man went through the village and began telling everyone the same God-story about the rich man and how his own life story was changing now because of it.
Both stories spread like wildfire throughout the village. No one could believe it. This man they feared for their very lives was literally changing in front of their eyes. One God story and one changed life and many people in that village have come to believe in the power and love of Jesus Christ. First there were 34 people baptized, then there were 20 more. There are five house churches in that village today. People who left the village because of the evil ways of the witch doctor are now coming home, where many residents are coming together to build traditional small brick homes for them. There’s little doubt Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Word of God and the Spirit of God are still changing people, villages and nations!
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