Having children in our yard, on our porch, knocking at our door, walking with us, riding with us, holding our hands, offering to take our stuff, looking in our windows, asking for a "biscuit" (cookie), asking to use Evan's soccer ball, selling stuff, etc, etc etc -- is a very common occurrence. They all have their own special stories and needs, but I want to tell you about one young man and ask you to be in special prayer for him. This is Ganiuw (pronounced gahn-you). He is a Muslim child who is at our house a lot. He loves our kids and is always around.
One Sunday I was walking home from the hospital and I asked Ganiuw if he would be going to church that day. He replied, very matter-of-factly, "No, I'm a Muslim!" I told him he could still go to church with us, so he did. He went TO church with us and rode home FROM church with us. In between, he just played around outside the building with the other kids. Oh well, he is a kid.
We have taken other opportunities to teach him about Jesus and will continue to do so. After all, God has placed him on our doorstep! I believe he is about as Muslim as we are goat, but he was born into a Muslim family and just knows nothing else.
At times, we can get frustrated and tired of the children being around ALL the time. Please pray for us and for these children:
- that we will be patient with them recognizing that God has placed them at our home for a reason.
- that we will be faithful to share Jesus with each of them in ways that touch them individually.
- that God would even speak to them in their dreams, as scripture tells us, and reveal himself to them.
- that they will not be bound to the Muslim way of life into which they were born.
- that they will see Jesus in our actions.
- that we will be faithful to give to them without hesitation, knowing that all we have belongs to God.
Following . . . .
Hey guys! We talk about y'all every Wednesday. You wouldn't believe how much the kids "follow" y'all through reading the blog or listening to their parents read it, especially Haley, Clayton, and Hannah. Y'all are prayed for by small, sincere, curious, and excited young hearts:) Any visitor who comes to church isn't there long before some kid tells them of "The Wilsons in Africa." They are SO proud to PERSONALLY know some missionaries, and they are so interested in what you're doing there. We have rolled a good many bandages, and plan to do some more, maybe letting the youth do some too. We praise God for all He is doing in and through you. We have a little money we've raised this summer...is there anything we could do for the kids who come around your house so often? Any little gifts, trinkets, or snacks we could send you to give out to them from us? Let us know...we'd like to send something along with the bandages when we're done with them. Love you all BIG!!!!!! And these kids think of "The Wilsons in Africa" (they say it all together like that) EVERYDAY. You are prayed for!!
ReplyDeleteCourtney