hree nights before the Ongole meetings were to end, an elder from a neighboring village came and asked that someone visit. Many from his village had been attending the meetings. So two members of the team went the next day. When they arrived, the elder took off his ring and gave it to one of them. “I have been waiting for 30 years for someone to come,” he said, pressing into their hands a deed for land he was donating. “Won’t you please build us a church?”

Thirty years earlier someone had come to their village and promised to build a church, but had left and never returned. Hurt and bitter, the elder had almost given up hope that anyone would come back. However, the wife of one of our Global Mission pioneers had started going to his village and teaching the people, and hope had begun to return.

The entire village, close to 1,000 people, came out to celebrate. A member of our team felt impressed to give what money he had on hand as seed money for a new church. What an impression that made on the elder! He was thrilled and convinced that God was answering his prayers for a church.

That evening as team members we sat around the table discussing the situation. We were impressed to make this a joint project and raise the funds to have the church built as soon as possible. On one occasion a dozen men got on their hands and knees and begged the team to begin work in their villages.

Ongole was an unforgettable experience for me. What drew the people back night after night? It was the message of hope in Jesus Christ, spoken in simple lay terms that every person could understand. As Jesus was lifted up before the people, new hope radiated from their eyes.

Throughout the meetings people would place our hands on their heads to pray over them—mothers bringing babies; people with illness; women unable to have children. It was humbling, and many times I found myself saying, “Lord, who am I that I should have the privilege of praying for these, Your children?” We prayed constantly that God would keep our focus on Him, the only one worthy of praise, and not allow Satan to turn this awesome experience into one of pride.

What a privilege and honor to have a small part in the work of God.

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Jan Meharry, executive director of the Maasai Development Project, writes from Harvey, North Dakota.