The Private School Door – 1

My African brother, “Daniel,” and I showed up at the private school one hot morning and were ushered into a room full of the students from classes 1-3 (ages 6-9). One of the teachers (“Fatawu”) translated for us – and he did an awesome job, accompanying his words with enthusiastic gestures. Since most of the children in the classroom did understand English, most were able to hear everything twice: first in English, then in their own language. The lesson was on the origins of sin.

Daniel and I returned the next morning to teach classes 4-6 (ages 10-14). Because these children were older, they all understood English well, and the school did not assign us any translator. We two were left alone with nearly fifty children, and meant to repeat the previous morning’s lesson; but midway through, Daniel turned to me and said, “I strongly feel that we must present the Lord to them.” I agreed, and at the end of class, he invited all those who desired to pray to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior to stand up…and seven children did so!

We returned the following week to share more about sin with classes 1-3. Fatawu again did a great job translating; but this time there was a new teacher in the back, who seemed rather skeptical of all we were sharing. How I was praying for him and for each one in the room! As Daniel explained how sin leads to disease, poverty, and death, one child asked, “But what is the solution for the problems sin has brought?” “Ah-ha!” Daniel exclaimed, “That is a good question! Come back next week and find out.” After the class ended, Fatawu told us that he was finding the lessons we were teaching very interesting, and couldn’t wait to learn more next week!

Someone must have heard what happened in classes 4-6, because the next day we found two teachers assigned to listen in, and the headmistress sat in a few times. One teacher picked up our visual aids at the start of class and read through them all, the last two-thirds of which talk about Jesus. I was quietly praying as he read, and to my amazement, he ended up being a real help, interrupting a few times to make sure that the students were understanding all that was being taught.

God was definitely at work in the school, and I was prayerfully anticipating our next session with classes 1-3….