RESTORED
There was a knock at my door. I (Estache) was not expecting anyone at this time of night. Who could it be? I opened the door to find a man; drunk and high on drugs. I had heard of this man. He had a reputation in the community. His name was Désiré. We were living different lives. I was a pastor at the local church and he was a drunkard, in and out of prison, an absent father and husband. We had never met. What was he doing here???
We talked for a few minutes in the darkness. As I listened to him, I knew I had a decision to make. I asked God, “why did you bring this man to my door? You know we have different agendas with our lives.” We ended our conversation and as I felt God had an invitation for me to respond, I extended an invitation to Désiré to return to my house in the morning.
The next day, I took him with me to the fields. I showed him how to tend to the crops. The day after that, we returned to the fields. We did this together, again and again, day after day. After a few weeks, I sent him on his own to the fields. Eventually, Désiré expanded his knowledge of how to care for the land. He became a skilled farmer. We also spent time praying together and studying the scriptures. He was gaining knowledge of who God designed him to be. He began to believe in himself. He began to believe in a loving God and eventually, he surrendered his life to Jesus. He was equipped with the physical skills to make a living and the spiritual skills to live out his identity in Christ.
After a few months with Désire’s newfound strength, word reached his estranged wife. She was in disbelief. Last she heard he was in prison. This guy they were speaking about did not sound like the same man she knew who made life at home so difficult. What had happened to him? He sounded like a new man. She had to see for herself.
She traveled to the city to visit Désiré. She was astonished, he was unrecognizable. He had a confidence about him. He carried his head high. He was clean. His words and thoughts were clear. He looked at her when he spoke to her. He begged her forgiveness. She did not know what to say at first. Could she trust him after so many empty words from him in the past? She decided to reconcile. The family was restored.
Today, Désiré and his family are farming a small tract of land. They see the goodness of our Savior in the crops they harvest and in their restored relationship. Désiré and I continue to meet and journey together. We praise God for what He has done in our lives.
Estache is a faithful example of following God’s command for discipleship. He lives out whole life discipleship found in Mark 12:30-31,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
In Burundi, Multiply is fortunate to partner with local church leaders, like Estache, for training and coaching centered on discipleship of the whole person. We value your partnership in this mission. Please pray for the coaches and leaders as they live out Jesus’ words to us in Mark 12. If you are led to contribute financially, you can do so here (the description in this link talks about another project in Congo, but we use this project for Burundi as well). Thank you!
