Children gather by the Kwilu River in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo, and listen to a local pastor tell the story of Jesus calming the water. IMB missionaries have trained Kikwit residents to tell stories from the Bible in their everyday conversations. (IMB Photo)
One of the street children in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a boy of about 14 years, ran by Maman Charite* and tried to snatch her purse. He missed, but after a few steps, he turned around to run back and try again.
Maman Charite stopped him and told him she would give him three thousand francs — just under two dollars — if he would listen to a story from God’s Word. The boy, Isa,* agreed. Maman Charite began telling him the story of Jesus healing the demoniac from Mark 5. By the time she got to the part of the story when the man is kneeling before Jesus confessing that He is “the Son of the Most High God,” Isa was also on his knees, crying, confessing that he was a thief, and saying how he needed Jesus to change his life.
Maman Charite shared with him how God created us to have a relationship with him and how our sin separates us from this holy God. She shared how Jesus’s work on the cross enables us to have our sins forgiven and be reconciled to God. Isa decided immediately that he wanted to ask for forgiveness for his sins and make Jesus his Master.
This isn’t the first time Maman Charite has led a “street kid” to the Lord. As is her habit, she quickly got Isa involved in discipleship classes. She and her husband are also working to facilitate a reconciliation with Isa and his family.
Maman Charite learned Bible storying a few years ago from IMB missionaries who led a workshop in Kikwit on how to use stories from the Bible in everyday life to evangelize. They stayed at a guest house run by Maman Charite. She was very interested in this method of evangelism but was unable to attend the workshop because of work. So every evening, after having taught all day, one of the missionaries came back to the guest house and taught Maman Charite one-on-one. Once Maman Charite understood how to share Christ through stories, she started sharing stories at the hospital where she works as a nurse. The patients clamored after her to hear more stories. Within a short period of time, Maman Charite had led 40 patients to Christ.
Since then, Maman Charite has also taught a group of ladies from her church to use stories. Every week they go out together to tell God’s stories and have won so many youths to Christ that they now have more youth in their church than adults. Telling God’s stories has truly become a way of life for Maman Charite.
Praise God for the power of His Word and for people who are ready at all times to tell His stories. Give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® to help more missionaries train local believers like Maman Charita to share stories from God’s Word.
* Name changed
