The final group we will visit on our logistical pre-vision trip is the Segeju. If you remember from our previous post about them, this people group is almost totally Muslim. There are no churches in Segeju villages – what an opportunity for an engaging church to bring the Good News to those who have never heard.
Making a point of visiting different villages from our previous trip, we turn off the main road down sandy pathways toward the ocean because Segeju fishing villages are situated along the coast.
Welcoming us heartily, as we walk through Segeju villages, we gather a crowd everywhere we go.
People are very hospitable.
They are happy that we are interested in their lives, where they live, what they do and they are eager to help us learn Swahili as well. Being a life-long learner helps us in many ways!
Mundaro village has three wells. Two dry up when the rains stop and the water table drops. The third, while it seemingly never runs dry, has a vast opening and it appears everything imaginable blows into it. Showing our concern for the situation, we agree to taste the water in each of the wells.
While this is a bit risky -- (we filter water before drinking it) usually water from a borehole type well is fairly safe.
Our willingness to drink the water that they must drink is a very important exercise.
It will be the first block of relationship building when engagement happens.
Pray for those who will carry the gospel story to the coastal Segeju. Biblical illustrations abound bridging the gap between Segeju lives and the gift of salvation through Christ. Pray that God’s messengers will be prepared with appropriate stories from the Bible to share with them.
Pray for God to send dreams and visions to the Segeju preparing the soil of their hearts for the seeds of the truth in God’s Word.
Pray that these Segeju fishermen will become fishers of men!