A Seeker Leading Seekers

In a culture where most men have two or more wives in different locations it is strange to find a man living with his only wife 24/7. It is even more unusual when that man is willing to lead his family in seeking the Truth as a seeker himself. 

I arrived at Mama N's house Wednesday afternoon for our Bible study. Her husband, Papa N, came out to greet me first. The other family members gathered around with eager expectation. A hunger to learn more about God shone in their eyes.

We all found a seat under the shade tree in their backyard, some on the woven mat, some on empty rice sacks, and one or two on the rocky ground. I opened the storybook to where we had left off the previous week. I read of Jesus' birth, childhood, miracles, and his riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.

A teenage girl in the yard on the hillside above us started calling to someone in the yard below. I paused and looked up. She had no idea she had interrupted an important moment. Papa N asked her to be quiet and motioned for me to continue.

I read of the betrayal of Jesus, His crucifixion, death, and burial. "Mama F, can you explain to them that the day after tomorrow is when we remember and celebrate this?" I said in Portuguese. She explained it in Kimwani and everyone's eyes brightened with understanding.

As Mama F finished, my hand went to my throat. It burned from pronouncing so many strange words. "Does anyone else know how to read in Kimwani?" I asked.

Papa N responded and reached eagerly for the book. He began to read of Jesus' resurrection, His last words to His disciples, His ascension, and promise of return. I marveled at the sight of a Mwani man reading God's Word to his family and longed to take a picture. Instead, I soaked in the scene, glancing from one enraptured face to the next.

 

I shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position on the hard ground, and made eye contact with the grandmother. I smiled at her. She grinned back at me, nodding her head in agreement with the message her grandson read in her heart language.

Papa N finished reading that section of the storybook. Oh, how I wanted him to continue! Unfortunately, the sun hovered above the horizon, urging me to make the climb home while it remained light.

"Can I pray for you all?" I asked. They agreed and I closed our time thanking God for such a wonderful opportunity to learn from His Word together. In my heart, I also thanked God for Papa N, for his desire to seek the Truth and to lead his family in seeking that Truth.

"Until next week," I said as I stood.

"Ayee, until next week," they all chorused.