The Whisper That Echoes Through Africa by Shirley Nyasha

Author:Shirley Nyasha [Nyasha, Shirley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shirley Nyasha
Published: 2014-08-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Why it’s Africa’s Time

Romans 15:17-22 (ESV)

17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."

A lot of the people groups that are still to be reached are very similar in culture to the African Culture. We have people groups in Asia that practice ancestral worship, believing in spirits of the deceased ancestors are alive, and who are in need of being fed and cared for. Offerings are made to appease the ancestors. Sacrifices are made at significant events such as engagements, marriages, graduations, etc. Witchdoctors help to contact the spirits of the deceased for the living.

We have peoples groups that live in villages, whose houses are made of mud and sticks that are plastered together with cow dung and then whitewashed. These small huts have thatched roofs, dirt floors and home-made furniture. Almost all of the villagers are involved in agriculture. The family structure is very strong. Important decisions are made by the family.

These two descriptions can be of any people groups in Africa, and also fit the following two people groups: The Haka of China, and The Bhojpuri of India. We have strong African Christian believers who have these backgrounds, and God wants to use them to reach out to these people groups. African missionaries going to work in places like these will have a quicker understanding of the culture. The African church has reached maturity, and it is high time it provides culturally qualified missionaries to reach those in the 10/40 window. African Christians understand the spiritual world, and have walked through syncretism. We know how to draw from our cultures the things that are Godly and the things that are not. Most of the people groups that are still to be reached are bound in worship of spirits. They need people who will be able to show them that becoming Christians does not mean forsaking their culture, but rather redeeming those cultural aspects that are Godly, in order to worship God.

Furthermore, political situations in today’s world make some unreached locations off-limits for missionaries from Western countries; though there are also situations that hinder African from going into these areas (which I will talk about later).

As Africans we are better prepared culturally and spiritually to reach the remaining unreached people groups (UPGs) than those in the West. The cultural

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