A
group from Judson College in Marion, Alabama traveled
to become a part of the Zerma Team for two weeks. You
too can go serve to be a part of the Zerma Team for
two weeks, or a whole summer. Contact Phil Cain, pnkcain@yahoo.com,
of the Zerma Team to find out more.
TWO
TESTIMONIES FROM THE JUDSON TEAM
The
experience that stands out most to me is the day
that we took about 350 bags of school supplies out
to one of the villages to distribute. There were
plenty for each and every child, even babies, to
receive one. But “enough to go around”
is a foreign concept when you live in the poorest
country in the world. A riot soon broke out. There
was no way, even with the help of the chief of the
village, to communicate this idea. Survival of the
fittest is the creed by which they live, by which
they survive. We soon found ourselves locked inside
the truck as people continued to swarm. They would
knock on the window and say they just needed one.
If only we could make them understand there is enough
for everyone. I couldn’t get away from this
thought. Then it hit me. How much more desperately
do I want tocommunicate that about the love of God?!
A full-fledged riot broke out over 2 pencils and
a notepad. Imagine how much more desperate the need
for unconditional love! Despite my limited knowledge
of the Zarma language, my prayer was that I would
somehow be evidence of the UNLIMITED and UNCONDITIONAL
love of God, that they may learn and experience
that love for themselves and know that it is more
than enough for their every need. --
Meredith Davenport
One
particular morning I was stretched more than any
other. We were prayer-walking through the marketplace.
The market was full of probably hundreds of Africans
all at one time, and there was no such thing as
'personal space.' I was always fine with that concept
because I am a physically affectionate person anyway,
but for some reason that morning it was really hard
for me. Of course, we stood out very well, and that
day people kept flocking to us. We could hardly
walk.
Then, out of the crowd, a lady
was pushed to the front. She was old and had no
fingers on either hand and a bloody cut down one
arm (we were told later that she probably had
leprosy). At that moment the people there asked
us to pray for her.
My head and my heart were fighting
a battle. She was bloody; could she have AIDs?
What if she had some other disease? No matter
what, though, it was obvious the woman needed
healing in more ways than one. I had to make a
decision.
So I put my hand on the woman's
shoulder and asked God to heal her and her spirit;
that was all I could come up with. Praying at
that moment, I felt intensely inadequate and completely
at a loss how else to pray for her. Healing was
what I asked for over and over again.
Through that moment, one of the
hardest for me during the entire trip, I realized
that it's not about words or being afraid. It's
about letting God take over and allowing Him to
be the focus. I saw how powerful He is. -Keri
Reeves
