Teaching can be hard, especially when the teacher only partially understands one of the six languages most of his students can speak. This is one of the many issues I face on a regular basis while teaching in one of the three public schools to which I’ve been assigned. Another major challenge is having more than 160 students in only three classes, which of course means a lot of grading.
Recently my students took exams, each one prepared by a different teacher with its own grading key. I had the keys for two of my classes, but I still needed the grading key for one of my two first-level English classes. So I called Mutarli, the teacher who wrote the exam. No answer. How about texting him? After waiting nearly an hour, there was still no reply.
I have an interesting relationship with Mutarli, as he is close to my age, and this is also his first year teaching English. A few weeks before the exams, I had an opportunity to share my faith with him. During one of our weekly teachers’ meetings, Mutarli asked me why I had come to Kandi. I explained to him that I was a missionary, and soon our entire table had left off exam preparation for a discussion of faith. One of the other teachers happened to be a Christian. The rest, including Mutarli are Muslim. He said he likes to learn about other religions, but when asked if he was looking for something new he declared with a confident smile, “Never. I love my religion too much.”
During the discussion, I shared the fact that I’m a Seventh-day Adventist. When Mutarli heard this, his eyes lit up. He told me about a friend of his who recently became a Seventh-day Adventist. Whenever Mutarli would ask about his faith, his friend would tell him to come to church but never give him any clear answers. I ensured Mutarli that I would be happy to talk about my faith with him and answer any questions he had.
Then Mutarli asked me if I had any books about my beliefs he could read. Having brought with me both a copy of The Great Hope and Steps to Christ, I assured him I would give him some books the next time I saw him. I was able to give him the books a few days later, and a week after that he told me he had finished reading The Great Hope. He seemed very excited about it, and he told me he would let me know when he finished the other book.
Mutarli eventually called me back that day. He answered my questions quickly and directly, wasting no time getting to the point of his call. “I need to talk to you about something,” he said. “I have some questions about the books you gave me. Can I meet with you?”
I was so surprised. “Of course you can!” I said. “When is a good time?” I wondered what questions he might have, and whether I would even begin to know how to answer them.
“Are you busy today? What about Pastor Badé? Can I ask him some questions too?”
“I’m sure you can. Let me call him, and I will call you back.” Michée said he would be free by 5:30 p.m., and I called Mutarli back to schedule the meeting.
Mutarli and Michée spoke in French, a more familiar tongue for them, but I could make out the general direction of the conversation. Apparently, Mutarli had been running into Seventh-day Adventism quite a lot lately. Since hearing about his friend becoming Adventist, he met other people of the faith and started to notice the Seventh-day Adventist name around his home town of Parakou. But he still had no idea who Seventh-day Adventists were. He wasn’t even sure they were Christians.
Michée answered all of his questions. He summarized our beliefs and drew comparisons between Adventists and Muslims, having Mutarli read passages from the Quran he keeps in his living room. For nearly an hour, Mutarli paid close attention to every word Michée said. The meeting closed with a short prayer, and Mutarli left with a smile, asking to meet with Michée again soon.
A few days later, I invited Mutarli to see my small apartment next door to the Badé’s. On our way, out of the blue, he said, “I like your religion.” Then he talked about the difficulties he faces coming from a strong Muslim family. In African culture, your family is your lifeline. If he were to proclaim a new faith, he would risk losing all support from his Muslim family members.
I sent Mutarli home with two new books: Christ’s Object Lessons in French, and Abraham’s Other Son by Philip Samaan. Mutarli might not be ready to proclaim faith in Jesus Christ, pray with Christians, or even set foot inside a church but I’m sure God will continue working on his heart as he searches for answers. Please pray that God will show Mutarli the truth and give him strength to put his faith in Him alone. Thanks for your prayers and for supporting the Dendi Project.
