{"id":4967,"date":"2016-02-18T11:35:46","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T15:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/ian-fallis\/?p=4967"},"modified":"2016-02-18T11:35:46","modified_gmt":"2016-02-18T15:35:46","slug":"why-im-going-to-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/ian-fallis\/2016\/02\/18\/why-im-going-to-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I’m going to Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Planning\"<\/a>
Dan Germann points out to Ian some of the places great things are happening in Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spreading the gospel to \u201cthe ends of the earth\u201d is the responsibility of each and every believer \u2026 but how do you do that? How do you make an impact, for instance, on Africa?<\/p>\n

Africa is huge. Much of the missionary effort over the years in rural areas has been ineffective, resulting in few disciples and fewer lasting churches. Even today, how can any of us across the sea know what\u2019s being effective?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to help you answer those questions. Literally \u2013 I\u2019m going to Africa in March. West Africa, to be more precise, and that\u2019s about as precise as I can safely be.<\/p>\n

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

That\u2019s often said to be an African proverb. Though the true origin of the saying is unknown, the meaning is simple. You approach a huge task one step at a time. I\u2019m going to Africa so I can tell the stories of how missionaries sent by churches through NTM are doing that. My aim is for those stories to encourage more people in North America to get involved in making disciples at the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n

\"Map\"<\/a>
Where we’ll be going … generally.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m going to spend time with African church leaders who are telling new missionaries how to effectively bring God\u2019s Truth to Africans<\/strong>. I\u2019ll talk with those missionaries \u2013 trained in the West, equipped and sent out by their churches, raring to go \u2026 yet now, again, and always, in the humble role of a learner.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m hoping to talk with a man who went to Africa to do maintenance, who\u2019s now teaching Bible lessons<\/strong> \u2013 and even that was only made possible because a woman was willing to do something that we Westerners take for granted: teach people to read and write.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to share the story of a team made up of people from the USA, Europe and Africa<\/strong>, working together to ensure that a people group can, for the first time, hear a clear presentation of the gospel in their own language.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m eager to talk with a man and woman who have labored for years to translate the New Testament<\/strong> into an African language \u2013 and some of the men and women reading that translation today, understanding it because it is clear to them, and applying it to their lives.<\/p>\n

By sharing stories like these, and telling people how they can be involved, I\u2019ll do more than take a bite of the elephant. I\u2019ll help thousands of others take bites too. I\u2019ll show them how they can be part of the work God is doing.<\/p>\n

Not there yet<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This week we bought tickets for our team to go to Africa, and we\u2019re still working out all the details.<\/p>\n

Yet your opportunity to help take a bite out of the problem starts right now.<\/p>\n

Pray for:<\/p>\n