Isaac’s Stories

Isaac is a young pastor and was one of our students during our Fongbe language School of Storying (SOS).

He came to this training after going through a shorter similar storying workshop our team had done months ago in Benin. As a result of that he had started storying groups meeting weekly. His congregation also asked him to teach them through Bible stories on Sunday mornings. We enjoyed watching an 8 year old boy stand and sharing the full story of Jesus healing the paralytic in front of the congregation with no difficulty.

During our SOS January 15th to February 16th he continued to find them effective in reaching Fongbe speakers.  One night he had set up to show an evangelistic film in a local village. When the generator went out early, he stood up and began to teach them the Bible stories he’d been working on in the workshop. After a few stories the team got the generator working again. No sooner had they started up the film when the people asked them to stop, they wanted to hear the Bible stories instead!

Isaac also teamed up with fellow storier Francois to reach an area just a kilometer from the training center. The night before the SOS would end we visited their new story group, which now had twenty-five people attending. We watched as another young boy all of 6 to 7 years old got up to retell the Bible story he just heard two times. Our translator said the boy was able to retell 70% of the story, which he just heard for the first time in his life.

Looking for God to open doors to ministry in another village Isaac approached the family elder, and man between 80 and 90 years old. After sharing Fongbe Bible stories with him the elder responded favorably.  He said many have come to evangelize him and always argue with him, telling him what was wrong with what he believed.  But he said Isaac had a different spirit about him.  He told Isaac he could go reach his family.  Isaac would be able to them understand this way (Bible stories).

Thank God for the chance to see the response of many when they hear God’s Word in a way they can understand.