They were wild

“They were wild, roaming the jungle destroying many lives and you have given them hope, healing and forgiveness.”

The last night of our Festival in Kakata was unusual in many ways. Many local Muslims were gathered near the site listening to the message. Previously, the Muslims had tried to keep people from attending. A heavy tropical rain had poured down all over Kakata and yet the Festival ground was completely dry. Various large flying bugs and bats that had swarmed over the site and stage and into the light and sound equipment the previous two nights were not as noticeable. The music and testimonies the last night were powerful about God alone as the one who can heal and provide hope and forgiveness. When team member, Julie Wright of OrphanAge and Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota shared her testimony everyone in attendance was listening with rapt attention. Many of the people have known Julie from her several previous visits to Kakata.
As I finished my message I expected mostly woman and children to come forward based on the evening’s emphasis. Instead, something I have never witnessed before happened – mostly late teenage boys and men in their early twenties responded to the Gospel. Pastor Singbe, one of the lead pastors for the festival, shared that many of these young men had been child soldiers. He then said “they were wild, roaming the jungle destroying many lives and you have given them hope, healing, and forgiveness.”
Watching the counselors begin to minister to and pray for these young men, I found myself very quiet pondering what the Lord had just done. These young men come from very broken lives. They were used by adults to rape, burn, kill, smash babies and destroy. They had been forcibly drugged and pushed toward the evils of bush magic (traditional West African religion and demon worship). Many had never been to school and had no employment. Yet, here they stood, almost 70 of them, confessing, responding to Christ and the Holy Spirit, broken and yet being healed. And, more importantly, the local churches were engaged with them. So many of these young men were now about to receive love, forgiveness, counsel and help to move forward with their lives. Pastor Coastboy told them that they could “now be a part of helping heal their broken nation and have lives of meaning and productivity.” God is amazing!