"Always Be Prepared ..."

Life sometimes gets a little mixed together here in West Africa. We have “regular office hours,” but those hours are often interrupted by the tasks of everyday living –- the fruit vendor drops by with bags of shiny apples, or the meat man rides by on his bike, asking what cuts we’d like this week.

At times the office even changes to a dressing room, as we check out a newly-purchased outfit in the reflecting glass doors of the entryway. Most clothes here aren’t ready-to-wear -– we order them from a tailor. Alassane comes to the office every few weeks to measure us for a new ensemble or to pick up clothes that must be resized. He’s a gentle man and an accomplished tailor –- sometimes we’re nervous about how a design we’ve requested will turn out, but he almost always gets it right.

A few days ago I chatted with Alassane while waiting for Emily to try on her new outfits. The conversation revolved around typical tailor topics -– “What are popular colors these days among Ivorian women?” “Where do you buy your supplies?”

Then, somewhat out of the blue, he said hesitantly, “Madame, I have a question. Why is it that all of you here are so happy all the time? You act like life is good all the time. We Africans are not like that.”

1 Peter 3:15 popped into my head: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

I explained it’s because we follow Jesus that we can be content and at peace. Even when things are difficult, we still have peace because we know God is guiding us.

Alassane professes to be Muslim but admits he isn’t very committed. But he knows it’s important to study the things of God. He wants to read the Bible, so the next day Emily shared a French New Testament with him.

Since this weekend is Pentecost -– a national holiday in this country of heavy Catholic influence -– she shared the story of the Holy Spirit descending on the early Christians. We told him that same Spirit lives in all those who choose to follow Jesus.

I urged him to start reading the Gospels and told him we’d discuss what he’s been reading the next time he comes back.

Praise God for Alassane’s interest in spiritual things! Please join us in praying He’ll soon personally know the same Spirit-given joy he sees in us.