Rosie’s Story

 

Ready??? OK!

 

You will see how that applies later. (Insert secretive chuckle).

 

Zanzibar has been a blessing! We arrived here without a plan for ministry, on a literally 99% Muslim island, with no cover whatsoever for ministry. So we sought after the Lord. Matthew 6:33 has been permanently carved into my heart. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” What a blessing that has proved to be! 

 

So we prayer walked up and down the streets of the small town we were staying in at the southern tip of Zanzibar, Jambiani. The town is a long strip that follows the beach with one small broken road separating the buildings into two long strips. All the women kept their hair covered and everyone spoke Arabic. The traditional calls to prayer were constantly reminding us the spiritual state of the town. The first day we prayer walked, we intentionally connected with the major non-profit of the area, ZAP (Zanzibar.. blah.. Project). Our team met the leader of ZAP and volunteered our time and hands to their projects, but their leader, Toni, let us know that ZAP had no current need for us. Then, before disappointment had a chance to set in, Toni told us about a Christian on the island that she could connect us with. Intrigued, Toni told us the beginnning of Rosie’s story. Rosie is a Dar native who became a Christian at the age of eleven when she was healed by her mother’s church. She gave her life to Christ and then went to school in Dar to learn about God. Rosie was send to Zanzibar upon graduating to spread the news of the gospel to the highly unhospitable island. She has had two churches burned down, multiple death threats, and currently meets with a group of eight believers who know the gospel and the Lord even  in the face of extreme persecution.

 

We spent the rest of our time at Zanzibar thinking about Rosie and her extreme circumstances. We were so moved by her story! And we wanted to meet her and encourage her and just see what faith had kept her strong in the face of such adversity! On the next to last day, true to the way God has been working throughout our whole trip, God directly answered Angie’s prayer for us to meet Rosie. A group of three of us (as we split up during our daily prayer walks) met a random man (who we had all met the day before, in a chance conversation with Toni). The rastafarian looking guy told them that Rosie was in town and then proceeded to take them to her!! What an incredible turn of events!!

 

The three came back to the team exstatic!! They had plans to bring us all to Rosie’s house the next day!! We were overjoyed! We had no news for days and then God provided miraculously for us to meet Rosie. Allee and I, fellow new believers, decided that we would ask Rosie to baptize us in the Indian Ocean when we met her. Oh wow. I am not conveying nearly enough how tricky a situation this was and how much God provided!

 

The next day, we went into town and waited for the rastafarian to show up and take us to Rosies’. Of course, this is Africa, but when we waited more than an hour for him to show up, we were all super nervous. After all the waiting and then excitement! We had to meet Rosie! We decided to bow our heads in prayer and ask the Lord to intervene once again. LITErALLY, as soon as we asked God to come through, Jessica interupts the prayer and says, “Hey guys.. the rasta is here.. with a matatu..” AWESOMEEEEEE (a matatu is an african sketch bus, incase you don’t know yet). WOW. God rocks. What can we say.

 

We’re excited to be home soon, we’ve missed all you guys, and we’re incredibly sad to leave.

 

Pray keep Rosie and her church in your prayers. Her safety, effectiveness and financial situation all are in desparate need. Thanks for your constant prayers!!

 

LOVE TEAM X

(and Malisa)

((WHO IS BAPTIZED!!))