"I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Me"

Last week, I went to a conference in Washington, DC, which was hosted by International Justice Mission (ijm.org).  You may have heard about IJM’s remarkable humanitarian and justice ministry through their president, Gary Haugen, and the special messages he’s shared at the Leadership Summit.  My experience was unlike any conference I’ve ever seen. 

First, the audience: never have I seen so many young people attend a Christian event.  Usually, I see a lot of homogeneity at conferences I attend; at this conference, the diversity of ages and ethnic backgrounds was remarkable.  It was an unexpected gift to be around so many young people who are all engaged in the work of biblical justice.  Second: the content.  IJM’s mission involves working in the developing world to free slaves, break people out of cycles of poverty and violence, and equip local justice systems to bring an end to crimes like sex trafficking, forced labor, and other issues.  Each of IJM’s field offices was given a conference room, which they set-up with prayer stations, audio-visual presentations, and interspliced everything with regular calls to guided prayer.  Christ-centered content, prayer, more content, more prayer - that was our rhythm for three days, and it was as much of a spiritual journey as it was an informational event.  Finally, seeing connections between the gospel and the work God is doing through committed, Christ-centered, capable people on IJM’s staff was truly amazing.

Back to the title above.  One of IJM’s staff members shared this quote in relation to his work in helping churches connect with justice, both locally and globally.  While the people of Africa are certainly in-need, the best way to serve them like Christ is to bring a humble heart to the table.  I need Africa more than Africa needs me.  I need the Holy Spirit to lead me and our mission team to Uganda (Laurel Walters, Sean Moats, Beth Dixon, and Janis McBee) with a spirit of humility before our hosts.  We come to learn, to pray, to grow, and to see what God is doing among our brothers and sisters in the developing world.  That’s the kind of attitude I hope to have when we leave for our trip during the first week of June.  Thanks for your prayers.

Shalom,

Travis