Never Too Late For Faith

In the scorching heat of the sun, surrounded by lush green coffee plants, a small church in a rural village in western Uganda partnered with Agape International to host a two-day conference. The air was thick with anticipation as the villagers gathered to worship. The music could be heard from nearly a mile away.

Among the crowd were two older men, who had lived their entire lives in this village. They had heard about the conference and decided to attend, curious about what it had to offer. Sandi (AICM President), Aaron (Executive Director), and Kibaya (Director of Ministry and Staff Pastor) who were leading the conference, shared their teachings and the message of Christ with the attendees through a translator. The two men listened intently, soaking in every word. As the conference drew to a close, Sandi asked if anyone would like to dedicate their life to Jesus. But the men didn’t move or respond with the others. They sat and watched as others surrendered their life to Jesus. 

The time came for the team to leave and friendly goodbye’s and hugs were exchanged.  The AICM staff loaded the supplies they brought on top of the van and they all climbed in to drive away. At that moment, Sandi who was still inside the small church, called Aaron to come back in. The two men sat on a small handmade bench with the translator, Sandi kneeling in front of them.  “How can we be born again?”, they asked.

Aaron shared from the book of Romans the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He shared that all men have sinned and are in need of a Savior.  The translator relayed the message in their local tongue that God loves them so much that He sent His Son to save them and give them eternal life.  

The two men looked at each other, their faces beaming with hope and joy. Through the translator, they proclaimed their faith and their desire to follow Christ.

Tears filled the eyes of those around them, as they witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit moving in the hearts of these two men. The villagers embraced them warmly, welcoming them into the family of Christ. For Sandi and Aaron, this was a moment of profound fulfillment. They had come to this village with a mission to evangelize, and they had witnessed the miraculous saving power of God’s love. 

As the sun began to set on that beautiful day, the two men walked back to their homes, their hearts full of love and hope. They had found something that they had been missing their entire lives. They had found peace in Christ, and they knew that nothing would ever be the same.