Friday, November 8, 2019 – Côte d’Ivoire

We have made it to Cote d’Ivoire! We landed in Abidjan, where we were greeted by Pastor Samuel and Mama Vera, our long-time ministry partners from Ghana. The warm African air kissed our faces as we stepped out of the airport, a welcomed change from the cool Ohio climate we left behind. As we loaded the van, one of our Cote d’Ivoirian friends from last year, Christian, also met us to say hello. It was so good to see them all again, and a joy for new team members to meet them. Just as the sun began to slip behind the horizon, we started our journey to Yamoussoukro.

What was supposed to be a 2.5 hour drive turned into an overnight adventure due to some car troubles. We pulled off to the side of the road, and 5 local boys seemingly came out of nowhere, eager to help. Though they didn’t speak English and we didn’t have a translator with us yet, Josh took the opportunity to share the Gospel with them, using Google Translate and a drawing pad on his phone. Thank God for modern technology that can be used for His glory! The boys said that they are “children of the mosque,” so Josh explained that Jesus is not just a prophet, but the one true God and the only way to receive forgiveness for our sins. He also gave them the “Heart of the Father” letter in French, which further lays out the Gospel message. Still, it was hard to tell how much they understood, so we are trusting that God will continue to speak to their hearts and draw them into the fullness of a relationship with Him!