A Miraculous Beginning 10 Years Later

years—that’s how long the ‘Havre de Refuge’*, or ‘Haven of Refuge’ Center* has been going. The library is used a lot, and contains a good selection of materials, including Christian books and Bibles in French. School classes come in the afternoons to visit, but also adults drop in and check out books. Achmed, a local man, has been the director of the Havre for a few years now. 

The night before festivities the sports competition finale took place. The teams threw themselves into it with gusto, leaping enthusiastically about on the uneven terrain. Loud cheers for the winners! The trophy and prizes will be presented at next day’s festivities. After it’s over, the Western visitors get to join in a bit, but it’s hard to keep up with these African youngsters.

Next day at the formal celebration, Achmed is called forward and recognized for his faithful and dependable work—such a blessing to so many! After the awards and recognition, every one joins in the feast and lively conversations that accompany it. We hope that the Havre Project can continue for a while to come, and we’d like to be able to add an English-language school to it. From the beginning, the center has provided an outdoor cinema, showing the Jesus-film (among others) on a regular basis.

But as usual in the Majority World, there aren’t enough teachers. And centers like Havre struggle to exist, while we knock on doors for funding, which are usually slammed shut before we even have opportunity to apply.

Are Christians in the West too busy ‘making money’?

Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives (Matt. 24:45-46).

Do Jesus’ words not apply here? Is part of our job as His servants not only to share material, but especially spiritual food with others who need to be released from the bondage of Satan into His liberating service?

We’re talking about one unreached people group in one of the poorest areas of the world. The only Jesus these people know is one they may have [not always] been told about by an imam (Muslim teacher), and this ‘Jesus’ didn’t

die on the cross, and he isn’t a savior. They might know that he is the ‘Messiah’, but they have no idea what that term means.

God is moving among this people group, though. He has raised up new leader-evangelists from among them that have joined our team in Northeast Africa, and the tiniest hope of future church plants is beginning to become visible.

It’s something ReachAcross has hoped and lived for the whole last 63 years of our existence.

Hopefully this 10-year birthday party for the Havre is only the beginning of things to come.

*All names, both personal and institutional, in this blog post have been changed for security reasons.