Given, taken away, and given again
Tanda believers in Guinea wanted to build a place to hold their Bible teaching meetings.
A few years ago they were given some land on which to build a clinic and doctor's home which they completed, and an additional piece of land for a church building.
The chief gave his blessings to the project and promised to attend the ground-breaking ceremony. But, it seemed that the village leadership changed their minds. As news of the project spread around the village, it stirred the anger and hatred of those who oppose the Gospel.
The men were determined to stop the building and soon many of the villagers were coerced into opposing the plan. The village leaders were told that if they allowed the believers to build a meeting place, there would be serious consequences.
The chief, succumbing to pressure to join those opposing the plan, came the evening before the ground breaking to apologize to the Tanda believers and missionary Ron Yearwood who was helping with the project.
The next morning the believers gathered for the ceremony, but instead had a prayer meeting.
Yera, a Tanda believer, prayed, "Lord, we just want to have a place to worship you. Give us the land where you want your church to be."
One of the possible sites that the chief had showed to Ron was a very nice flat piece of land at the entrance of the village.
"Could it be possible that God was using the opposition of these men to the Gospel to have another piece of property given to the church?" Ron asked. "They were not going to allows us to build on property previously given to the church but, knowing that even in this seemingly hopeless situation our Great God was at work."
On Sunday, following their teaching meeting, the believers went to the property they wanted and held a prayer meeting and Kali prayed, "Lord if this is where you want us to build, give it to us and may the Tandas that come to trust in You be as numerous as the grass that we are standing in."
Within thirty minutes, the village leaders came and told the believers they could go ahead with their plans. The following day the believers began clearing the land for their meeting place. And as they worked they were saying, "God is mighty."
A few years ago they were given some land on which to build a clinic and doctor's home which they completed, and an additional piece of land for a church building.
The chief gave his blessings to the project and promised to attend the ground-breaking ceremony. But, it seemed that the village leadership changed their minds. As news of the project spread around the village, it stirred the anger and hatred of those who oppose the Gospel.
The men were determined to stop the building and soon many of the villagers were coerced into opposing the plan. The village leaders were told that if they allowed the believers to build a meeting place, there would be serious consequences.
The chief, succumbing to pressure to join those opposing the plan, came the evening before the ground breaking to apologize to the Tanda believers and missionary Ron Yearwood who was helping with the project.
The next morning the believers gathered for the ceremony, but instead had a prayer meeting.
Yera, a Tanda believer, prayed, "Lord, we just want to have a place to worship you. Give us the land where you want your church to be."
One of the possible sites that the chief had showed to Ron was a very nice flat piece of land at the entrance of the village.
"Could it be possible that God was using the opposition of these men to the Gospel to have another piece of property given to the church?" Ron asked. "They were not going to allows us to build on property previously given to the church but, knowing that even in this seemingly hopeless situation our Great God was at work."
On Sunday, following their teaching meeting, the believers went to the property they wanted and held a prayer meeting and Kali prayed, "Lord if this is where you want us to build, give it to us and may the Tandas that come to trust in You be as numerous as the grass that we are standing in."
Within thirty minutes, the village leaders came and told the believers they could go ahead with their plans. The following day the believers began clearing the land for their meeting place. And as they worked they were saying, "God is mighty."