It was nearing the end of summer 1998 and there would be one last crusade for me this year. I had discovered many things these few weeks in Kenya, most importantly the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Yet, I was puzzled as to why God brought me here? I had asked Marti why she would come to such a forsaken place, endure such hardships, and place herself in danger to tell people about Jesus? Her response was a simple one. "It's not about me. It's about Him." That's why I was puzzled! He didn't bring me all the way to East Africa for my sake. It was about His will and His plan. Marti said that He would show me in His time.
During preparations for the upcoming crusade I visited each “team” member’s home as they prepared for the trip. I thought I was there to help them get stuff together, but that’s where God opened my eyes and heart to His vision. I saw how our African team members put God’s calling above all else. I understood what Jesus meant in Luke 18:29-30; “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “No one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come, eternal life.”
The Lord's vision was etched into my heart and soul. And although the vision had yet to become reality; I could see it clearly.
The team members responded to God's call without question, or reservation. They truly placed all their trust in God to care for, protect, and feed their families while they were away. Providing food for their families is a day to day effort. It is a very dangerous place to live and their mud wall, thatched roof homes offer little protection from ruthless gangs and bandits. Even when they were seriously ill they still went on the crusade. Ibrahim is our lead guitarist and a truly gifted musician. On the second day of a five day crusade he suffered a recurrent attack of malaria. He was shivering and sweating profusely, yet he refused to quit. He played his guitar and sang out in that field in the heat and high humidity from early morning until nearly midnight for five days straight. And he did it with the love of Jesus shining through his smile the whole time. I believe the Lord honored Ibrahim at that crusade by adding over 700 names to the Lamb's Book of Life.
Marti's vision was to reach the unreached with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Lord showed me how my vision was to compliment her vision and make that effort more bountiful. That is to acquire a plot of land and construct a safe place of refuge for the crusade team's families a community for Christ. A place where the team's families would be safe while they were off conducting crusades to the interior of Kenya and neighboring countries. A place where they could grow crops, have a dairy cow, goats and kuku (chickens). A five acre plot with a perimeter stone wall for safety.
Within these walls would be simple, yet safe housing with clean water and electricity. There would be an orphanage and a school. Workshops with sewing machines and woodworking tools would be set up for the older children and the adults which would enable them to be self-supporting and in time would produce a profit which would be used to start another community for Christ to spread the good news farther and faster. In time another community would spring from that one and then another and another. One day all nations will hear and the scripture will be fulfilled. A day of glory to God!
Thus, the vision became "Marti Ward Communities for Christ".
As it was for Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses so it was for Marti. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the thing promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. Hebrews 11:13. And so it will be for Marti; who will be watching and welcoming the first community along side Jesus in Heaven.
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Jim Thompson