Just let me try, storyteller Laban thought.
The oral Bible stories Laban and his team had crafted for the Sakko community in Nigeria were so well received that he couldn’t wait to share them with a neighboring community.
But there was one small problem: The neighbors were devoted idol worshipers.
Undeterred, Laban traveled to the small community and found a group of children. He called to them, saying, “Come, I have a story to tell you.”
Laban told the story of Jesus calming the storm and then asked questions about what they liked or didn’t like. A hearty discussion ensued. The story made such an impression on the children that they went home and told their parents about it. Intrigued, the parents asked the children to find the man and tell him to return.
Spiritually Blind Beggars Seek Sight
When Laban came back, he found an audience waiting for him. He told them the story of Jesus healing a blind beggar named Bartimaeus.
As Laban told the story, he pointed out how the blind man had faith that Jesus could heal him, and Jesus opened his eyes. Laban challenged the group. “If you also believe in Jesus, He will open your eyes so that you can see what is hidden in this life.”
He continued, “Jesus is the Light, and if you come to the Light, your eyes will be opened. Do you see how you have been struggling? You try, but then you stumble. This is because you are in darkness.” The listeners discussed the story and asked, “Are we also blind like this beggar?”
“Yes!” Laban affirmed, “If you do not have Jesus, then you are as good as that blind man.” Then he extended an invitation to the community members. “I want to give this opportunity to you who are ready to come to the Light so your eyes can be opened.”
“All of them raised their hands!” Laban recalls, awestruck. “They said they had surrendered and wanted to come to Jesus so their eyes could be opened.”
New Believers Know What They Want
Still, Laban felt skeptical. “I thought perhaps they were joking,” he says. So, when the listeners said they wanted him to come regularly, he tested their commitment. He scheduled his next visit for 6 a.m.! Again, to his surprise, a full group was already there waiting for him.
Laban started coming every Thursday. One week, the people told Laban, “We have given our lives to Jesus, and we know that Christians go to church, but we are not going to church.” Laban agreed that they should find a local church and start attending.
But as a group, they said, “No! We don’t want to attend some church. We want to stay with you.” They wanted Laban to be their pastor, but he was hesitant to start a new church.
Laban Looks for God’s Direction
Unsure of what to do, Laban spoke to his project manager, Benjamin, about his reluctance. Benjamin advised him to continue praying and trust the Lord’s guidance.
So, Laban relied on God to guide his path and continued sharing stories with the group. They decided to start meeting on Sundays instead of Thursdays. “Each week, we sat under the shade of a big tree,” Laban says, describing how they didn’t even have benches but sat on large roots or on the ground.
After a while, group members approached Laban to say, “We have been sitting under this tree for some time. Now we want to build a small structure.” As poor farmers, they had no money to contribute, but they molded mud blocks to construct four walls, and Laban raised money for a roof.
By God’s strength and guidance, Laban became a pastor, and a new church was born. When Benjamin arrived for a visit, he was amazed by what he found: Constant fear had given way to lasting peace. “The gospel stories have given them hope, and that hope has given them joy!”
