Hunger

Outside the window of the Guest House I hear the sounds of traffic, people hustling and bustling in their routine before the end of the day. Cars start and stop, radio music filters off and on, but all of that has been converted to an inaudible "white noise."

Today, there remains an echo etched in my memory that still resonates in my soul. It is the sound 150 Maasai women made when they heard they were being given a Bible. They literally jumped up out of their chairs; whooping, hollering, waving and fist pumping with unrestrained joy. I have never seen, heard or felt anything like it.

I started to cry.

They started to cry.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

I wish I could say what brought tears to my eyes was joy. But I must confess, a portion was shame. I have never felt that way about the Word. I read the Word everyday. I have read from cover to cover over 18 times, and yet - this joy was an exhibit of love and excitement at the true treasure the Word REALLY is. These women acted as though they had just won a million dollars. Their cheering drowned out every other sound I have ever heard. For a moment, I thought this must be what heaven sounds like when a soul is redeemed. It was other-wordly, it was God worthy.

I composed myself, the Lord quickly erased the shame and replaced it with shared rejoicing. I did confess to the women I live in a country where there are many Bibles, but few readers. I have more than 10 Bibles in a variety of translations and notes. But even with the obedience and discipline of reading every day, in all that excess and access I have never hungered the way these women hungered for the Word. I felt it would be like Lance Armstrong hated riding a bike, or if I was Michael Phelps who really doesn't like the water.

It changed me.

I know it changed them.

In 2008, I brought a team here to Tanzania. Our host, Rev. Sabina Lumwe asked for a group to go into a region where the witchcraft practices promoted killing women with "red" eyes. She asked if we would go to this village, AND to provide Bibles for them. We responded absolutely... not knowing all our affirmative reply entailed.

We were told there would be only women, but it turned out half were men. We asked the village chief if some of the men would be the ones commiting these heinous acts (setting the women on fire, hacking them to death with machetes). He said confidently, "Oh yes, you will shake the hands of the murderers today."

One of the women in our group taught a session on how to study the Bible. She then told the eager audience a story from her early years in Sunday School. Her teacher would announce to the class, "Swords Up" and the children would hold their Bible perched between their palms and repeat, "Swords Up." Our study leader had the villagers do the same. They enjoyed it. They understood it.

"Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord." Zechariah 4:6

I shared with the Maasai women today, who have suffered a famine of the Word (see Amos 8:11) what I told the villagers. "The Bible says, God's Word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). I emphasised He is watching over His Word to see it performs all He has for it (Jer 1:12).

The first day we arrived I asked Sabina if she had news of the village. She said, "Oh yes, and all through the region the killing has stopped because of your visit!"

Only God knows what these 150 Bibles will accomplish in the hands of those who hungered for it.

Blessed are YOU for getting us here
Blessed are YOU for purchasing the Bibles
Blessed are YOU for feeding His sheep
Blessed are WE who have the feet that bring the good news!

"Let Me tell you why you are here. You are here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth." Matthew 5:13 The Message

Filled in the Fields
And Smiling
Charlynn and Debi
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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