By the time this blog is posted, I will be 40 years-and-one-day old! If I live to see 80, I am about halfway THERE! The Mwinika calls heaven: “God’s place” :).
My birthday was also the first day of the 40 day fast of the main religion of the Mwinika people. Since most Mwinika have not heard the Good News yet, most will still participate in the fast.
We were curious to see what the handful Mwinika believers will do this year… Last year they were still in the middle of the 1ste Phase Bible Teaching and we did not expect to see any changes (if any). This year the Mwinika who have heard the teaching had a choice: will we fast or not? And if so, why?
Aimamu Friday (the local religion’s leader) says about the fast: “I still fast, but now to fast means to me to say thank you to God. The important thing when you are a believer and you go and fast is to do it because you believe in the Saviour that truly has cleaned us or our sin. I do it because I am grateful to God for His Saviour! Before we thought that we just fast to save ourselves before God and to try and make up for our sin. We did not know that when you start to believe in the Saviour, He takes away your sin and that you must just be thankful for this. You cannot do anything else!”
We see that by still going to the after-sundown meetings where the Mwinika get together to eat, the believers have a great opportunity to witness their new belief. By continuing to move alongside their neighbours, they keep the right to speak into their lives. Friday says that he has not met anyone [Mwinika] yet who does not want to hear the true Word of God!
“They are very touched when they hear the Truth about God. They did not understand the religious language of before and no-one knew what God says. Now, we hear the Lord’s Word in our own language, eMwinika. Everyone likes to listen to it!”
Aimamu Friday continues: Please tell the believers in South Africa and other places that have prayed for us for many years: We, the Mwinika, are starting to believe in the words of the Lord God. We did not know His Word or the Truth before. Daily more Mwinika are added and more and more believe. Do not stop praying! You now have family in Christ here under us, the Mwinika.
And we say AMEN to that!