The Hope of Africa

For almost 20 years I (Lesa) have thought of the problems in Africa with a longing in my heart to be part of a solution. But, I never really knew what the solution was or what my part would be in it. The war and civil strife, famine and poverty, orphans, disease, the AIDS pandemic… death. It all is so overwhelming. What could a girl (and now, a mom) from America do? God has brought Andy to the same place of passion and calling. Throughout the past year, we have gone through a process of praying and seeking answers. We now have more clarity on all three questions. This is why we are going to Africa.

What are the challenges?

First, to understand the solution, you must see what the real challenges are. Africa is a harsh land; there is no doubt about that. In addition, centuries of turmoil and pain produced a belief system that relied on superstition; people were enslaved by fear of what evil spirit might inflict disaster on them next. Would they starve, die of disease, or be killed by an enemy spear? Also, the lack of education about hygiene and health led to many unnecessary diseases and death.

Hope is born

The idea of truth, hope, peace and love came crashing onto the continent as many faithful missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries sought to bring a message of life to a people who desperately needed something powerful to withstand the menace of their environment. Churches began to form and joy founded on Jesus Christ began to spread. The Church began to take the initiative to make a difference in the poverty, political conflict, and ever-growing disease that ravaged the continent. Africans could meet the needs and communicate truth and hope much better than any foreigner. The African Church is the solution. It is the hope of Africa.

The role of foreign Christian workers in Africa today.

The Church in Africa is young… in most countries, no older than 150 years, compared to the centuries of history of the church as we know it in America. This leads to these three major challenges facing of the African Church:

#1: There is a huge disparity between the number of Christian workers in America and the number of trained pastors in Africa. Some African pastors are responsible for up to 20 congregations.

#2: The African Church is also still living in the midst of the cruel realities of life in Africa. The task of tending to the sick, impoverished, orphaned, and hungry is too big and expensive to tackle alone.

#3: There are, even today, many groups of people who remain completely unreached, who have not even heard the name of Jesus Christ. The international Church must continue to be part of the solution. We must be engaged in the work in Africa by assisting the African Church in spreading the Gospel, training leaders, caring for the sick and the poor, educating young people, and being a light where there is still great darkness.

Being a Missionary:

As our world advances more and more, the job helping the African Church is less simple. The days of taking a boat to Africa and traveling on foot from village to village are over. Today’s missionary has much to handle: communicating with those at home, taxes and finances, raising the thousands of dollars it takes to travel and live overseas, acquiring and maintaining a home and a vehicle in Africa, and the list goes on. It takes many people working as a team to accomplish the task.