Now I Love to Be with People

Margaret lives in the remote Mt. Elgon region bordering Uganda in western Kenya.  She and her husband are referred to as “old.”  Many times when I ask people how old they are, they have to stop and think.  No one really has extra money for celebrating a birthday or gives the passing by of another year much thought, so pretty much everyone is noted as either young or old, a child or an adult.  Margaret herself is called an “old woman” and her husband is lovingly referred to as “Mzee,” Swahili for “old man,” a term of endearment and respect.  Eventually, Margaret figured out that she had been born in 1969 (50) and her husband was born in 1953 (66) just to give you an idea of what the term “old” means in rural Africa.

Margaret and Mzee were invited to and came down from the mountains to a training with us three years ago.  A DMM disciple-maker had visited their village and shared the Good News with them and they had joyfully accepted it.  Right away they started a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) group in their home.  Today there are 20 who meet there each week.  The original group developed into a viable house church with many of those disciples going out to reach others, so today there are 20 house churches that have been started out of the original group. Most of the leaders of these churches have started at least five more house churches and most of each of those five have started house churches, with a few of them reaching out again and starting house churches. In other words, there are now four generations of disciples in that area.

Mzee and Margaret meet with leaders, she very specifically told me, on the 27th of each month.  It’s then that they share their lives and needs with each other and also do further trainings.  Margaret and her husband are like so many others in that area.  They are farmers who work painfully hard to sustain themselves, a requirement even at their age.  They are an inspiration to all of us with their passion to serve God when undoubtedly there are times they would rather sit after the physical work required day after day of just surviving. The smiles, the hugs, and the love they express to us and to others they are perhaps meeting for the first time is obviously the result of the joy they feel inside. 

Recently I asked Margaret what her life was like three years ago compared to today.  I was so surprised at her answer.  She said, “Before we did house church with others, my life was so very hard.”  Typically, what I might hear next would be “because of lack of finances,” but no, here’s what she said, “I didn’t know how to be with other people.  I stayed alone and to myself with so many problems.  Today I love when we meet and I can be with other people.  We work together and share life with each other.  We talk about how life really is and we pray for each other; we read the Scriptures together doing DBS, and we do table banking together.  All of this helps to lift us up.  Today I really love to be with people.”  And, it’s obviously so very true.  There’s not a time I get to be with Margaret that a huge smile doesn’t cross her face as she rushes over to embrace me.  For someone withdrawn and defeated not that long ago, she’s a complete joy to be with as the love of God that fills her easily oozes onto everyone she’s around.  This is God and who He is and what He does.  How can we not praise and be in awe of a God such as this!