Underestimated

There are at least three things that I had underestimated before coming to Africa.

The first is the hauling capacity of a bicycle. We have seen everything from babies to barrels and everything in between carried via bicycles in this country.  Who would have known?

The second is the effectiveness of flannelgraphs in this day and age.  For those of you who are not familiar with flannelgraphs, those are the little paper or cloth figures with felt-like properties on the back that cause them to stick to flannel.  They are used to tell Bible stories. These were very popular when I was a child but have long-since been replaced by more technologically-advanced mediums in the USA.  In our location stories come alive with these figures to children and adults who are not used to visuals used for story-telling.

The third thing I had underestimated is the appeal of the Jesus film.  I was so excited about this project when it first came out years ago.  The concept was great: produce a film telling the life of Christ and make it available to people groups around the world in their own languages.  I must admit that the film itself seemed less than quality to me when I first saw it, but watching it on this side of the world among people who have limited or no exposure to other movies or television shows, makes me realize what a valuable ministry tool this really is.  It is so incredible to sit out under the stars surrounded by men, women, boys, and girls who are mesmerized by the film and by the message it brings.

Oh, that I would always view things around me with fresh eyes and be ready to utilize each for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.