Do you know your neighbours?
Do you know their names, or are they someone you just politely smile and nod to when you both just happen to be in the driveway? Or while you’re mowing the lawn?
What about the people who live next door to your church? Do you know them?
Beatrice lives next door to a church in her village in Kenya. But no one knew that. No one from the church had bothered to visit her, although they saw her all the time.
She has a physical disability, so she’s hard to miss. And as a single mother to two teenage boys, and a young girl, her house is always busy. But not busy enough to bring the attention of her neighbours, it seemed.
To support her poverty-stricken family, Beatrice forced herself to run her own small business, despite her physical limitations. She works daily at the market, hoping to earn enough to put a meal on the table that evening for her family.
It was here believers trained by ShareWord Global met Beatrice. They began a conversation with her and shared the hope of the gospel. But she was packing up early from the market. There was political unrest in the area, and she feared for her life more than fearing her family going hungry that evening.
That was when the believers learned they were neighbours, that Beatrice had lived next to their church and had never been approached before. They realized that had they had resources and training earlier, they would have had the courage to talk to Beatrice sooner.
The church members held Beatrice as she cried. She finally felt the love and support she had been so desperately craving. She was seen for the first time. In that moment, she gave her life to Christ and dedicated her life to serving Him. They gave her a copy of the Hope magazine to read and share with her family.
And they all promised they would see each other that Sunday, and each one after that, next door at church.