At the gate sits a man.
He is here almost daily working as a security guard.
When I first came to Malawi, I thought that he didn’t like me. He always looked stressed around me.
I am not sure if he was like that because he was nervous about his job, whether the new missionaries would keep him on, or if it was the language barrier. Over time, I have come to look forward to his greetings.
He always greets me with a big smile and “Good morning, Madam!” Or “Good afternoon Madam! How is your home?”
Almost daily I would see him. He always stays there as we clean wounds and change bandages. Then stood quietly by as I witnessed to those we helped.
I knew many of our workers were saved, but I wasn’t sure about him, so I asked Eric if he knew. He told me that he had asked and that no one had witnessed to him before because they felt he would feel pressured to pray to keep his job. Everyone is very honorific here as well.
The Lord gave me a burden for this man. I began praying for him. How awful it would be for a man sitting at our doorstep to enter eternity without ever having someone tell him how to be saved?
One Wednesday I walked through the gate with the children’s church kids. They ran ahead. After we greeted each other, he turned to shut the gate.
I felt like the Lord tugging at my heart to tell something.
“Lord! I might get all tongue tied and make no sense! I don’t know much!” I continued walking, but couldn’t walk far.
Turning around, I called out to him.
“Abambo Lingston!”
My voice was so loud that it shocked me.
“Yes, Madam?” He replied with a concerned look.
“God loves you!”
A smile spread across his face. I can’t remember if he said anything.
That week I decided to learn a different phrase. I have learned some verses, John 3:16 is one, but I get so nervous that generally I get brain freezes halfway through it when I try to quote it publicly. It had to be something simple.
The next week, I was prepared with the sentence that I wanted to say…but still I was nervous.
Nervous that I’d mess it up…nervous that I would look silly.
He greeted me as usual. But I couldn’t say it. I continued walking, but the Lord wouldn’t let me go far. I turned around suddenly and called out to him again.
After I had his attention I said, “Jesus died for you!”
He had a look on his face that I couldn’t interpret what he was thinking.
The next few days he was nowhere to be seen. I thought, maybe I’ll see him Wednesday.
When I walked to the gate Wednesday, it was open, but Lingston wasn’t to be seen. I was beginning to wonder if he was opening the gate and hiding away from the crazy white lady! I was half relieved to hear he was sick!
When he finally came back to work, he greeted me with his regular smile. I told him that I was praying for him. His smile only grew.
Some time has passed. I continued to pray and wait for the Lord to direct me what to say further. As the Lord gave me opportunities to witness at the gate, I prayed that Lingston would also be listening.
Today, Eric walked in telling me about a man who came to the gate today. But I could not listen to his story because as he showed me a picture of the man, I noticed another happy man sitting beside him…Lingston!
“Lingston?! Did Lingston get saved too?!” I was not able to contain my excitement.
“Aren’t you going to let me finish?”
Eric shared how that while Pastor Nelson shared the Gospel with the other man, Lingston listened and also trusted in Christ!!!
What a blessing to see the Lord answer my prayers! I wanted to share while the excitement was still fresh in my mind.
My part was so small. What I said so simple and childlike, but I like to think that I was able to play a tiny part in planting a seed.
It’s not about us or me…but He allows us to be a part of it as we just obey His still, small voice!
fromtheheartofmrsmissionary.com 