In the course of my Baka research, I read through an email document sent to a colleague of mine from a missionary working among a different group of pygmies. At one point he said “I notice that the most effective churches are the ones far from where the missionary lives. They take charge of the work whereas the ones close to where the missionary lives develop dependence. With this in mind I see the missionaries task as traveling from region to region and calling the Pygmy Christian leaders of that region together for training, focusing vision and organizing literacy classes. Priority is given to local churches that are planting new churches.”
As I read these words, first it struck me how similar this missionary seemed to the apostle Paul (in fact, his name is Paul).
The second thing that occurred to me is that this work is a big deal, a really big deal. God is allowing my team and I to be involved in reaching an entire people group with the Gospel. Wow! What an honor, what a privilege, what a responsibility, what a burden. This has nothing to do with me. This has everything to do with the Gospel of Christ, which is for all peoples. In the light of this truth, everything else fades. Any sacrifice or suffering is so quickly forgotten in the joy of being a conduit of the Gospel. Oh, there is nothing better!!
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1
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