On the 28th August we were sitting down to do our family bible time. After a few minutes, zack asks Andrew and I what makes somebody a Christian and how does one become a Christian. We told him that they would need to accept that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and to have a relationship with him by praying to Jesus, reading the bible regularly and trusting in him as you go through life finding the right path that he wants you to take. I asked him if he meant he wanted to become a Christian and he did. I was so excited!...... Andrew prayed for him and it was such a special time. since then we found out his cousin became a Christian on the same day. Gods timing! I was so excited I told family and his teachers at school. A few days later, he shared his news in class. It opened up another discussion about how the children need to commit their own lives to Jesus and being in a Christian family where your family has moved to Chad to serve Jesus here doesn't make you a Christian. It has to be an individual personal relationship for each person with Jesus. Zack continues to want to learn so much about his Christian life and the bible it is a joy to see. We pray that this continues and god will help Andrew and I as his parents to help him in his Christian walk. His teachers are a massive inpact on his life and we are so very thankful for them and the small missionary school, wellspring he,and Esther, attend.
Other news from Chad doesn't really come close! We continue with our daily lives of schooling, Andrew either flying or in the office, and I am at home with Jacob and doing lots of hosting of maf visitors helping us in this programme from other maf programmes whilst we are short staffed.
Jacob is now fully better and just loves toddling about the compound, sitting with the guards and being with Saratou. Each morning he comes with me in the car to drop Zack and Esther at school. As we return and turn into our little dirt road, he gets all excited to be back home. I open the window and as the guard opens the gate to let us drive into the compound, Jacob gets animated, and he shakes hand with the guard as we stop and they talk to him, in French! He smiles and after pulling up by our house and I get him out of the car, he now goes over to them to be with whoever it is is working. He is so sociable and a real cheeky chappy with a love of people, food and being outside, not to mention totally adoring a doting big brother and a fun and caring big sister.
In John 1verse 12 we read "yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ." I think that sums it up for Zack. I am reminded as I read a daily devotion based on this John 1verses 1-14 that faith is not just to merely believe but it needs to also include active trust. Something I am working on in my walk with the Lord and guiding Zack in his walk with the Lord too.
