Abele Update

Many of you have been praying faithfully for Abele, his family, and the Baka missionary team. Thank you for your faithful prayers, your expressions of concern, and your caring questions about how everyone is doing now. I received an update from my teammates today, so I thought I'd pass it on. Please keep praying.

Abele and his father Sanda

From an email update from Barry and Desma:

We got to the clinic in the morning and watched as the kids visited with their father. Margaret, our friend and househelp, also requested to come with us. She addressed Abele with a sort of recounting of Ecclesiastes chapter three and we were able to witness compassion, exhortation, and encouragement in true African style communication. We took note, because what she said truly seemed to minister to Abele. She said that this was his time to suffer, but this time will not last forever and his children are still there waiting for him even if he goes to prison (which is inevitable). She explained to him that despair will kill him and exhorted him to seek the Lord and lay these things before him. We were amazed at Margaret's ability to communicate so much spiritual insight to him in his hour of need.

After Margaret left, Ebote began to talk to Abele which seemed to bring out more regret and remorse on Abele's part. He began to cry out about all that has happened. He named his children in his cries and even admitted that this has caused trouble between the families involved. It was at this point that we began to talk to him about accepting the full blame for his sins. There were many issues surrounding and leading up to the actual murder and he seemed to be pointing out the blame of others. We encouraged him to let others deal with the sins they have committed and to focus on what he has done. I shared Romans 6:23 with him and noted that death has come as a result of his sin and that it is far-reaching, pointing out that he cannot truly ask for forgiveness until he accepts the fact that he is to blame. We went on to share with him his need for confession to God first in order to receive His forgiveness and then to the others involved when he has the opportunity. He heard God's word with tears in his eyes and we are encouraged that he is taking the beginning steps.

Abele will probably be transferred to the district prison this next week and we know that this is going to be a long process, but we are also praying that God will be glorified in the end. Abele prayed over his children before we left.