Editor’s Note: This is the ninth of 10 entries from writer Katie Croft.
Everything was going smoothly, at first.
This was our last night in a village called Nayo Dadi. About 600 people from the village in northern Cameroon crowded in to see the screen.
At first, they reacted the same way as the other tribes had -- laughing when Jesus brings in a boatful of fish and grimacing when the nails are hammered into His wrists.
As the film is stopped after Christ returns to heaven, though I cannot understand what is said, I am familiar by now with the flow of the outreach.
After hearing a gospel presentation in both French and the Peve language, many people slip their hands up into the air as the pastor talks about making a commitment to follow Jesus.
When they are asked to come forward, the crowd does not move.
The pastor waits a few moments and then gently but urgently asks for those who have made a decision to follow Christ to come join him up front.
Again, no one moves.
This strikes me as strange. In every other showing there has been a quick response; sometimes such an overwhelming response that I wonder if people understood.
After a few more awkward moments, 2 women appeared suddenly, standing tall and proud in the center near the pastors.
From my seat, I could not see how they fought their way forward from the back of the crowd, thwarted by men and women in front of them.
How brave they were to stand in front of their whole tribe and be identified with Christ so clearly.
One by one, a few more step up to the small group. I believe that the courage of the first 2 women gave the next 8 people strength to step forward -- in the end, 5 men and 5 women.
As the pastor leads the group to the side to pray and talk privately, everyone else followed footpaths back to their mud huts for the night.
I believe I witnessed a physical example of the spiritual oppression that is going on in this tribe. On my bus ride home from the outreach that night, I reflected on the courage and struggle of those 2 women.
And I prayed.
Toust droit reservé
.png)