A flood of remorse
Mike Riepma watched intently as Jairo offered the elements of communion to Huajojo.
For the two men to share communion with God and each other says a lot about what God is doing among the Ese Ejja people.
This has been a time of much disappointment and hardship for the Ese Ejjas. The river by the village where the Riepmas live has risen, engulfing gardens and leaving the people without their staple crop, plantains.
“In our thirty years of living along the river we had never seen it so high,” Mike and Cher wrote.
Houses, schools and the church are all on high ground, but God has been using the difficulties to draw people to Himself.
“Though there was much disappointment as many had planted new gardens with acres of [crops] completely destroyed, we noticed a distinct attitude change on the part of many, especially of those living in the upper part of the village,” the couple wrote.
Women’s meetings were packed with women eager to learn. Almost the entire upper village turned out for the Sunday meeting. Younger families have been stopping by the Riepma’s house with spiritual questions. Most importantly, many have placed their faith in Christ, or have decided to follow the Savior they placed their faith in years ago.
Huajojo is one of those saved recently.
“Huajojo has lived a life of drinking, stealing other´s wives, and was very closed to the Gospel,” Mike and Cher wrote. “He has always been very critical of our work and accused us of having ulterior motives.”
But something happened after one of the village’s drunken parties. Huajojo and his wife felt very empty, and thought, “There has to be more to life than this.” They came and talked with Mike and Cher.
“It was so clear God was working and lifting the blindness and they were responding to the light God was giving. I could feel the sense of relief he felt knowing God had forgiven all his sins,” the couple wrote.
The following Sunday the church served communion, and Huajojo was there with his wife. Years earlier, Huajojo had run off with the wife of Jairo, who is now a leader in the Ese Ejja church. And now it was Jairo who presented the elements to Huajojo.
Jairo had been devastated and hurt, but when Mike asked him afterward if he was bitter, Jairo replied, “No, we are friends and I am very happy for them to have finally accepted Christ.”
Thank God with us for the work He is doing among the Ese Ejja people.