Bush Trekking

Last week, Pastor Dragan and I were driving to Mahalulu Village to meet with the pastor there. A few weeks prior, we had shown the Jesus Film there and wanted to follow up with the churches there. When we reached Pastor Thomas' home, we found that he was working out in his garden. His son jumped into the truck to guide us, assuring us that the "road" was passable. Several minutes later I soon realized this was going to be quit a journey. We crossed rivers, drove through people's yards, and down paths that were barely even footpaths. We finally reached a point where the truck could go no farther. Parking it under a tree, we set off on foot for another 30 minutes, I almost lost my balance in a river, before arriving at the garden. The surprise and joy on Pastor Thomas' face made that long trek worth it. He was so blessed that we could come all that way just to encourage him. These rural pastor easily get discouraged because they often feel inadequate to preach the Gospel due to lack of training. They also have no one else really speaking into their lives and encouraging them. This is why Overland Missions doesn't start our own churches but work alongside those that already exist. I'm excited to say that Mahalulu will be our first location for the new believers class that I'll be leading and training local leaders to teach in other villages.