Life After Three Days

A neighbor that we’d been building a close relationship with came over to bring us greetings the day after we arrived back at our house. After exchanging warm greetings we were walking back to the gate and the man remarked about one of the fruit trees in our yard that had begun to dry up over the past year. He told us in his language that while we were gone he saw the owner of our house had cut off all the limbs of this tree and it was in the state of death. But that only lasted three days and then it started sprouting new branches and leaves until now it was starting to look bushy. Then with a smile, he remarked that it was just like the prophet Jesus who died and came back to life after three days. I said, “wow, that’s great, you know/know about Jesus?” He said, “I know a little, that he is coming back again to collect his followers.” Then he changed the subject as he was on the way out the gate, but I was amazed at this openness in our greeting. 

Our friend, shown here butchering rams for a festival, has three wives 
and lives in a run-down compound of rooms surrounding a “courtyard”
 full of chickens, children, tons of flies, and old assorted treasures.

For the past two years we’ve been walking with this man through tragedies in his family and a kidney surgery a few months ago. We've been praying for his large family and also for him to experience the peace, health, and love of Jesus.  In gifts we’d given to his family at Christmas we’d broached the subject that God’s love shown in giving Jesus is the reason we are here to help, but we’d never spoken further with this family about faith. Now we feel like there is some openness for us to share more about what we believe, and to learn more of what they believe. There are lots of dynamics in the relationship, but it was a neat way to see what new growth there could be, and that there is more to our relationship than just greeting and family news. That was a pretty nice welcome home!

-- El Padre