The evangelization of the poor involves both material and spiritual assistance

The Good News of Jesus Christ is transforming the poor and the villages. To be in God’s mission in Cote d’Ivoire, God has allowed me to witness that the transformation power belong to Him. Our responsibility is to preach the Gospel.  After visiting many villages and other places out of Abidjan, I saw poverty and sufferings. Many people are waiting for a better day but there is no a spirit of initiatives that can bring change. Climate change is also affecting the livelihoods of West African smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed agricultural techniques, and it is expected to make food shortages more acute as the region’s population continues to grow. 

To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is a spiritual solution to a country like Cote D’ivoire. Many young people are victims of economical and sociopolitical crisis of the last 10 years.   People are living their villages to go to town to look for better life. Many plantations are lack of workers because those who were working decided to go to town. There is need to change a mindset of the population. That why to evangelize a place like this, it is necessary to preach the Gospel into practice. 

I believe to evangelize means to put the Gospel into practice, that is, to believe in Jesus Christ, to live in Jesus Christ, to follow Jesus Christ. In order to believe and live what we preach, it is necessary to act, to serve, to go forth to meet the neighbor in his or her needs.

We are in God’s Mission to evangelize poor people and assist them to alleviate their sufferings, to take care of their spiritual needs.

 

Matthew 25:34-35  (NIV) ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in..

                                                    Children in NIGUI ASOKO village

As missionary, these words are for me to continue to imitate and continue the mission of Jesus Christ who evangelized, announced the Gospel, proclaimed the Good News of salvation. To do this is to evangelize with the Word and with works; it is the most perfect; and it is what our Lord practiced and what all those who represent him on earth are held to practice.

St Vincent also has experienced to preach to the poor. I have learned from him that in evangelizing the poor we have to see, to judge, to be compassionate and we have to act.

SEE

Be a good observer by seeing how society treats the poor and paying attention to the conditions of their lives.

Christ in the poor.

JUDGE

Think how these conditions might change, asking ourselves why and what possible projects are.

Christ for the poor

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BE COMPASSIONATE.

Have compassion for our brothers and sisters, uniting ourselves with them where they are.

Christ with the poor.

ACT

Put our hands to work, being Good Samaritans and healing the wounds of the people.

Christ loves the poor.

   Madame Kouassi and Francine Masuka are giving food and clothes to Mr. Alasan who was a muslin now he is a Christian.

Why I like to work in the village? 

I like to work as missionary in the village. It is a great experience to work with villagers. In the village everyone knows everyone else, they visit each other, they help each other, and they feel they belong together and they celebrate their faith with vitality, rhythm and contagious joy. They are all one family. In this situation, the parish is the community of communities. The evangelization of the poor happens through the incarnation and adaptation of the missionary to the reality and surroundings of the mission. This is the only way to touch the lives of many and convert some.

I will finish this reflection with John Wesley’s quote:

"You bind your own hands. You, make it impossible for you to do that good which otherwise you might. So that you injure the poor in the same proportion as you poison your own soul. You might have clothed the naked; but what was due to them, was thrown away on your own costly apparel. You might have fed the hungry… but the superfluities of your own table swallowed up that whereby they should have been profited. And so this wasting of thy Lord's goods is an instance of complicated wickedness; since hereby thy poor brother perisheth, for whom Christ died."

(The Works of John Wesley, vol. 8, "A Farther Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion")

If you are interested in my ministry, please pray for my family and I to continue sharing the 

Good News of Jesus Christ. E-mail: jmaleka@umcmission.org    THANK YOU FOR READING.