Gideon and Guinea part 2

Debra told me in the most gracious and loving way yesterday that my blogs are incoherent. I think "rushed" is the word she used. Well yeah. I write these things at 6 in the morning. If they don't make sense, it's okay to furrow your brows and nod politely like they're the most profound thing you've ever read. ;)

I wrote a couple days ago about the patience God has in giving sign after sign to Gideon. I feel like that a lot: God has to get my attention in some novel new way every time He wants to work through me. What really amazes me is that 27 years later, He's still playing along, still giving me little miracles to confirm my faith. Here's the latest....

I was on a crowded train station in downtown Chicago last Tuesday. I was so distracted by a musician that I accidentally got on the wrong train. Inside the crowded car, I heard a voice remarking on my flag-patched backpack: “Are those all the countries you’ve been to? Have you been to Guinea?” I turned to see a young African man sitting behind me. He explained that he grew up in Guinea so I proceeded to pull out my best Pulaar from my 2-month visit in 2009 to ask if he spoke the language. We chatted about the Fouta, mafe tiga, and local a Guinean restaurant. He grew up in Dalaba up in the hill country. It's the most beautiful place on God's green earth, by the way.

When he heard about my time in nearby Kankalabe, he said he knew some folks there. He dropped the name of an American family and I cooly replied that they were the ones I had stayed with in the village! Even more amazing, his adopted mother was a missionary in Dalaba.

At that point I said, "Wait! What's your name?"

"Hajji!" he replied. I had indeed met his mother! She had told me all about her son living in Chicago and asked that I get in touch with him. I think I may have his contact info lying around the house somewhere!

I gave him my card and we agreed to meet up for Guinean food one of these days. At that point, I realized I was in China town… definitely not where I planned to go. I had to get off and switch trains.

It makes me wonder about things. God keeps bringing the Fulbe into my life even in Chicago. You may recall that months before coming to Guinea I randomly met a man from Kankalabe whose family I befriended while I was there. From that one contact came several good Guinean contacts who I still hear from.

Now I’m in global disciple building ministry and my heart is to impact the Africa (and especially the Sahel) by training African believers to effectively disciple others toward maturity and christlikeness. I’m still unsure how I can do this among the muslim Fulani, but there I was on a train, in the middle of a divine appointment being offered a relationship with one of the world's only Fulani believers. I think that’s cool and I can only imagine what the Lord has in mind.

That makes at least three divine appointments surrounding the Fulani. The other was when my mentor gave me a paper written by a missionary to the Fulani who beautifully embodied my philosophy of ministry AND just HAPPENED to be the father of my housemate. That connection led to a long-standing relationship with this man, and ultimately to my 2009 internship in Guinea. Is there any doubt that God has an ongoing purpose for my life regarding this semi-nomadic African tribe? 

What's the Lord up to here?