He Made the Road

This morning we got up and rounded in the hospital. All of our patients are still making it, including precious 3-year-old Timothy. I'm still wondering what God is going to do there.

We then met with Tommy Harrison, the missionary who came here 25 years ago to plant churches in the villages of this remote region. These truly are the unreached people. Tommy goes daily and meets their needs by drilling wells, having church under a tree, or helping build churches. He does many things here and has been a tremendous asset in Nalerigu. When he first came, he actually used to live on the hospital property. He then decided to move into town with the people of Nalerigu. He is one among them. He eats the local food and lives like they do. He tells me he has the best bed in Nalerigu for sleeping. It's up on his roof under a mosquito net and he has nothing but God's galaxies of stars to gaze at every night. If the rain comes, he'll run down into his house. He is truly a remarkable servant for Christ.

This day has been one of the best, just by seeing yet another soul changed as Tommy sets himself aside and pours into others. He kept referring to how we should be living the commandment that Jesus kept emphasizing about loving others. It gives Tommy greater joy to love and serve others. Everything he does for others, including farming land for them, goes right back into their hands. He keeps nothing for himself. Many years ago, he returned home to Alabama and he said his heart was just simply here, so he came right back. He's approaching the retirement age, but he has no desire to retire. His wife died many years ago and he has several kids in Alabama. He would love to keep serving here as long as He sees God moving in his work.

Today, we drove beyond the dirt roads to tinier paths out in the bush. We passed through areas out in pastures with villages of mud huts. We went inside the homes of villagers who Tommy has befriended. The homes are the same type of 6-feet diameter huts with such quality workmanship. The mud is made from a mixture of cow manure and sand. When baked from the heat, it can last forever as long as their grass roofs keep the rain off. Usually, they redo the grass roofs once a year before the rainy season starts again. Occasionally, tin roofs are placed on top of the rectangle houses and last much longer through rainy season. We went to a place where Tommy is setting up his own mud hut to live in for several months when the rainy season starts. The rains wash out the road, so he wants to have a place for times when his truck cannot make it back to Nalerigu. We saw the house and it was just right and ready for him to occupy. Today the plan was to put a door on the house. He built the door, we brought it out there with us, and he installed it. As we passed by, many children came along and rode with us. It is the most entertaining thing for them to get to ride in the bed of the truck even if their walk back home is 5 miles. We drove slow enough so that people could keep hopping in and getting off as they wanted. Tommy never turns a person down for a free ride. Most of the villagers walk. If they are lucky, some have bicycles. Tommy also bought mangos and we passed them out to the kids. They were delicious.

It was such a spiritual time for me out in the bush and in the villages. I receive the greatest joy while being with the people in their habitat. We get to see these faces everyday in the hospital, but to be where they journey from and see how they live enables us to experience another close bond with them. Tommy even speaks their language and he sang a song in their tongue as we drove down the road. He translated it as "God made the road, God made the way, so do not be afraid to go."

I think that speaks loudly to many of us. Tommy was used today to demonstrate how truly setting aside your own life and living for others solely for the glory of Christ is the most rewarding, satisfying, and obedient way to live.