Pastor Stephen's Testimony

Have you ever seen the movie Out of Africa? There’s a phrase that is repeated over and over in it: “I had a farm in Africa…I had a farm in Africa…I had a farm in Africa…” Well, I also had a farm in Africa, or at least I lived on one for awhile. I grew up in Africa. My parents were medical missionaries in Ethiopia and we lived there until I was sixteen. My dad was the doctor for an eye hospital in Boru Meda for several years. We lived on a farm that had cows and horses and I enjoyed riding my sister’s horse, Nifty. I really liked living on the farm. But I had to go to boarding school away from my family. When I was in first grade they had some animals there--some cows, pigs and pigeons. One night, a nice lady came into the dorm and told us a story about a pig that used to roll around in the mud a lot. One day the farmer gave that pig a hosing down and a good bath and he was all clean. Well—I’d been out behind the gym plenty of times and seen those dirty pigs lying in the mud. I’d smelled them, too—so I could relate to this story…

But then that lady told us boys that inside our hearts we were just like that dirty pig and we needed to be cleaned as well. Even though we were all around six years old—we were sinners. She said that if we asked Jesus to forgive all our sins and asked Him to come into our lives—that He would come in and forgive our sins! Not only that but we would also go to heaven when we died and live there with Jesus forever! So I knelt down by the bunk bed and asked Jesus Him into my life—right then and there! I wrote my mom and dad a letter and told them I accepted Jesus into my life on January 22, 1968.

Many times I doubted that I was a Christian. Many times I thought I must not have prayed the prayer right. So I’d ask Jesus into my life again. Even in college I sometimes doubted if I was really going to heaven, but I finally realized that, all along, I had been doubting God’s ability to accept my prayer and that was wrong. It was His ability to come into my life that I was doubting. So, I began to have more certainty because His power is unlimited and He already had accepted my small, weak faith.

There had been many times, though, when I knew Jesus was in my life as I grew up. I especially remember in 8th grade how lonely I was in boarding school. At night I sometimes went over to be beside my brother before he went to sleep. I often felt like crying because I missed my parents. While I was on Christmas vacation, I had heard a sermon on “God is Able” and had made a poster with those three words written on it in colorful letters. When I got to my bare-looking dorm room, I hung that poster by my bed. Even though I didn’t have any close friends at that time, I knew that God was my best Friend and that He was always there. He was able to help me through…

But God did something else that encouraged me during that lonely time in my life. A Columbian student named Carlos came up to me one day and asked, “Would you like to read the Bible and pray together?” I was so amazed that anyone would want to have a Bible study and prayer time with me. I hadn’t even asked God for that. But God knew what I needed and He sent me a brother in Christ to encourage my faith. Not only was God my best Friend but He had sent me another friend!

Do you have God as your Friend…? If not, I’d love to pray for you. Would you go to our prayer request link and write a short note, it will go directly to my e-mail box so I can read it right away and pray for you. It might be the most important e-mail you ever sent! God bless you!

Steve Scheel

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