A Community’s Healing Growth

We invite you to share the following story with your congregation. It should take no more than 2 minutes to read aloud. You might also wish to include the story in your church newsletter.

Loren and Donna Entz were delighted to hear the news of a new church building dedication among the Toussian people in Sipigi. For several years, they had heard reports of a new outreach and they were anxious to find a time to visit these new believers.

The day arrived and several vehicles including the Entz’s, made the trek to the new church. The road was pavement, then gravel, and finally a very rough bush road. The new church building was beautifully built, simple but very carefully plastered. It took a bit to get all the extra benches and people squeezed into the new building. The service of dedication began with songs in three languages and church women shared an appropriate song of blessing on the group.

The visiting pastor from the Orodara church shared the history of this group and the building. The story began with the medical condition of a local man’s young wife. The man, Arijuma, and his wife received the promise of help from a pastor in the city, and soon after, the young wife experienced healing. Upon the encouragement of this pastor in the city, and with the help of the Orodara church, a group of believer’s began a gathering that emphasized this ministry of healing. Soon it was clear that a permanent church building was necessary since the temporary one would not make it through the rainy season. The church in Orodara and the local believers of this new group put their resources together and the result was this new church that all had come together to celebrate. The service of dedication was based on the rebuilding of the temple in the book of Ezra. The prayer of Solomon was used as a basis for the official prayer of dedication.

At the end of the service the group’s leader, Arijuma asked that all of his children be dedicated to the Lord. Arijuma’s whole family spread across the front of the narrow church building and various lay leaders as well as Loren Entz were asked to lay hands on them for the dedication.

In all, it was a special day and ended with the most delicious meal of rice cooked in a tomato sauce. The Entz’s went home praising God for these new believers.

(Loren and Donna Entz no longer serve with Mennonite Church Canada. This story was part of Equipping #71, November/Decemer 2006)