(3 of 3) Impacting Youth through Elders
(3 of 3) Impacting Youth through Elders
The Third Reason for my Journey to The Gambia
God called me to Gambia for THREE REASONS. The first two reasons became evident immediately. You can read about the first two reasons here:
The third reason did not manifest until just before my departure. On my flight over to Africa, I began speculating on what these three reasons might be. You’ll see in my first post about The Gambia that I mentioned the important history of slavery here. When I found myself at the 200-year anniversary of the abolition of slavery in this nation, it seemed glaringly obvious that this had to be the third reason (especially after I ended up in the same tent as dignitaries from six African nations).
And yet, despite the incredible favor and fascinating factoids (Did you know that the international slave trade undisputedly started with the introduction of Islam?), I never had peace about this being the actual third reason.
And then, the week before my visa expired, the Lord gently reminded me of His original words to me:
“You won’t know until you go.
I’m calling you to The Gambia for three specific reasons.
You’ll know all three of them when they happen.
The third reason will tell you where to go next.”
Before my departure to Africa, I had been anticipating that one of these three reasons dealt with slavery.
God’s word does not change. Nor does it return void. Therefore, slavery could not be the reason because of the Father’s original words: “You won’t know until you go.”
As soon as I realized that I had been contemplating that slavery was one of these three reasons BEFORE I departed, I stopped trying to negotiate some hyper-spiritual moment with repentance in The Gambia and put my trip back in the Lord’s hands. YOU figure it out!
As my three month visa came to a close, I really began to question my hearing. Doubt tried to creep in. God, did you really tell me that? Did I just make all this up? What am I even doing here?
I checked my passport and realized that my “three month visa” was actually a 30-day visa. I was on day 89! It was now February and my visa had expired back in mid-December. Oops!
The day before I was scheduled to depart—still with no idea where I was going—I ventured into the customs office near the major tourist hub and pleaded my case. Instead of being upset or giving me a hard time, the lady behind the desk smiled at me and assured me she would make it right. And she did.
Without any hassle, I paid for two visa extensions retroactively (without any additional fines) and got the necessary stamps in my passport. She wrote in the final date by hand and—because she failed to calculate that both December and January hold 31 days instead of 30—gave me an extra two-day extension.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I would not be on the bus to nowhere tomorrow morning. Instead, I would take a couple extra days to relax. I went to the road to grab a Gelli Gelli and noted an elderly white woman standing by the road. She looked lost and I thought to myself that I should help her, yet I did not speak to her.
Instead, she struck up a conversation with me.
Mariama Toubab is from Wales and had been living in The Gambia off-and-on for 30 years. My assessment that she appeared lost was incorrect. Rather, she was waiting on a ride from a friend who failed to arrive on time (go figure!). Our conversation was pleasant and filled with jokes only a foreigner would understand.
She asked where I was headed next and, when I replied that I was considering getting on a bus to Guinea-Bissau, she stopped me and emphatically insisted on an alternative solution. “If you’re going to Guinea-Bissau, you must go through Senegal first anyways. I’m leaving for Senegal on Friday and have already booked a driver with a nice car. There is room for you. No need to pay anything. If you would like, join us.”
I looked at my freshly stamped passport. I had been given an extension until Friday. In this moment, it became obvious that this was the third reason. Completely unexpected, yet filled with immense peace when the offer was extended.
I accepted.
On our way out of the country, there were a few pit stops scheduled.
First, we made our way south to Kartong where she gave away some football equipment to the local municipality and delivered a harrowing message from the UK: Stop the illegal immigration through “the back way”.
Recently, about thirty youngsters from Kartong died when their boat sank in the Atlantic Ocean on their illegal passage to Europe. As she described the situation, it became clear to me that these kids were escaping their dire situation with hopes of being able to provide for their family back home, not knowing that they, like their unwilling ancestors, were willingly packing themselves into a ship to become slaves in a foreign nation. Mariama Toubab read an edict from the UK over the village leaders declaring that no one that enters the country illegally will be granted citizenship.
As we closed the meeting and gifted the football (soccer) gear, they began asking me questions and I soon learned that I knew the shopkeeper next door and had intended on visiting him previously on a trip to Kartong that never manifested. Before we left town, I shook the hands of both Elaji and Buba, childhood friends of the Honorable Gibbi Mballow.
I assumed we would cross into Senegal from Kartong, but I was wrong. Instead, we made a sweeping drive across The Gambia because there was a specific festival on the Senagalese side that would be our final destination. Because of this detour, however, we drove through the town of Sifoe (the town where I taught about Father’s Feast Days back in December) and I asked the driver to pull into a young missionaries home so I could bless him.
When I first met Ibrahim months ago, he was wearing a shirt from the high school UIL marching band competition in Texas (something I am quite familiar with because I, as Drum Major, led the Esprit de Corps to the State competition twice when in high school).
Ibrahim was telling compelling stories of God’s provision in his life.
He started with nothing and was building out a branch of his home to house more children. He’s currently housing 30+ orphans, feeding them and educating them. Most of the children come from Muslim families, but after being shown unconditional love, they quickly come to know the God of the Bible.
Ibrahim’s ministry is important, and I had it in my heart to help him from the first day I met him. I prayed over him after handing him a small sum of money to complete the construction of the local Church. I see him as a launching and equipping school for Gambian missionaries to the nations. When the harvest comes to The Gambia, it will be well established ministries like his, that have been tilling the hard soil for years that will see much fruit.
This detour allowed me to sow into his ministry and give Mariama Toubab a glimpse into the heart of a local Christian impacting the Gambian youth.
Turns out, Mariama Toubab has a deep passion for children’s education. She’s been a bit of a philanthropist over the years with everyone in the vicinity of her quiet compound knowing of her humble exploits. Like many expats, she lives in The Gambia during the seasons with nicer weather and departs during the torrential downpours of the rainy season.
As we talked, she asked questions about how I ended up in The Gambia and I shared my story of God speaking to me with the words “The Gambia, The Gambia, The Gambia”. I could see her interest pique when I told her I knew nothing about this nation prior to hearing God’s voice.
During the three days we traveled together, we engaged in many spiritual conversations. Mariama Toubab is a Muslim, although she has her own unanswered questions about Allah’s Willy (the irreverent term she used to poke fun at the African population who accept anything simply because it happened, so it must have been the will of God). While she has questions, she also has a deep-rooted understanding of the Islamic faith and how it has shaped this nation over the years.
Anyone who has spent consistent time somewhere carries with them stories of the past, and—not surprisingly—I found myself learning about some of the untold historical facts in The Gambia that are often overlooked, ranging from horror stories about the former dictator to stories of lions on the loose when a petting zoo went awry to eerily recent news of Marabouts (Islamic shaman witch doctors) demanding the live sacrifice of missing children. Mariama Toubab had lots to say and yet, when it came to a personal relationship with God, she was silent.
I reminded her—as I remind all Muslims—that Mohammed instructed her to read the Bible as it is the incorruptible Word of God. Had she done this? No. And yet, the man she calls a prophet says that People of the Book (Christians) are to judge by what God has revealed in the Gospel.
“And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the righteous.
And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient.”
Surah Al-Mā'idah 5:46-47
When asked by Muslims if I am a Christian, instead of saying “yes” and allowing them to superimpose their own understanding upon me, I simply say that I use the words Mohammed used to describe myself. I am a People of the Gospel, a People of the Book or a People of the Scriptures.
Firstly, this lets them know that I’m not ignorant to the Quran and secondly, it means that when talking to me about the Quran, they are forced to listen to my understanding through the lens of the Torah and the Gospels. …because Mohammed said so. In other words, I have to reject Islam because it is in stark contradiction to the incorruptible Word of God and, if I didn’t reject Mohammed, I would be defiantly disobedient to the God of the Bible.
Mic drop.
I didn’t have to do many mic drops with Mariana Toubab as she was hanging on my every word. I find this is the case with most Muslims whose hearts are not yet hardened. They are seeking truth and, if they are unwilling to settle for counterfeit and are unrelenting in their search, they will find Him. Yeshua is Truth.
After an enjoyable weekend exploring the coast of Senegal, I had to go. I would have stayed longer, but I had work to do and our primitive guesthouse had no internet and the WiFi (pronounced weefee) in the nearby coastal village of Abene was abysmally slow.
I left Mariama with a prophetic word and my last copy of “200 Questions for the Bible and the Quran”. (More books are being printed thanks to many of the generous individuals that read this blog. Praise God!) I am convinced that she is not only going to come to know the Lord, but that she will be a strategic voice to the youth in this nation. She carries that flame!
I will undoubtedly see her again, yet before I do I have a small task. The original word that I carried in my heart to The Gambia was that “the third reason will tell me where to go next.” I was not intending at all to make my way into Guinea Conakry, especially not into the highlands, but if Mariama Toubab spoke about this place once, she spoke about it a thousand times.
The specific region of interest is a place called Fouta Djallon.
Again, I had never heard of it before, but within moments of looking into it I was struck by the immense beauty and the fascinating spiritual comparison to “The Tibet of West Africa”. This land is filled with mountains, waterfalls, and the headwaters to four major rivers, including The Gambia River.
And so, with this, I embark on a journey to the highlands of Guinea because the third reason told me where to go next.
It’s an honor to have you with me on this JOURNEY.
I pray that the testimonies from my adventures will bless you and encourage you in your own faith walk. The single biggest thing you can do to support me is to subscribe to the AL3XAND3R update and share it with your friends. I’m Gr8ful.
If you have any comments, I’d love to hear from you!