Throwin' it Back

As the millennial I am, I´ve decided to throw it back today to a few years ago when I went to Africa. Yeah I get what you are saying, “Joy seriously? Africa? What does this have to do with South America?”

Just buckle up and hold on because I am about to share one of my favorite memories with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Not too long ago I went to la inglesa Genesis here in Cochabamba (it’s a super cool church you can find them on facebook, youtube, instagram and the like at 'denesisCochabamba'). Anyways during worship the band decided to slow things down and they played a song where the chorus is as follows:

“I have decided to follow Jesus

The cross in front of me,

The world behind me.

No turning back. No turning back.”

During this song as we were all praising God in this small house church, my mind was brought to a small church near the coast in Sierra Leone, Africa. Before we dip into the fadeout let me give you some quick background information.

In the summer of 2016 I went to intern/volunteer in Sierra Leone for two months. During my time there I helped install solar pumps, spend time and support the organization I was with, and helped maintain existing hand pump wells.

Okay now we can continue the fadeout. It was a beautiful summer day in Sierra Leone and per it being the middle of rainy season the clouds hang low but luckily it didn't rain on us. With the family I was staying with we went to a local church that was having a baptism day. For a person to be baptized as a follower of Jesus Christ in Sierra Leone it is a big deal, it is a strong proclamation of faith that goes against their culture and history.

After a short sermon by the pastor everyone in the congregation stood up and we began to walk. We walked in silence for about 5 minutes until we reached the coast. At this point everyone who wanted to be baptized lined up and the first person along with the pastor waded into the ocean until they were waist deep in the waves. The pastor asked the man the following questions per baptism norm:

“Do you accept Jesus as the son of God, Christ the Lord, that he died on the cross for our sins, and that he is the one and only savior?”

The man said “yes” as he proclaimed his faith and was then baptized in the name of the Son, the Holy Spirt, and God the Father. Once he was lifted from the water, the people did not cheer or shout like you would expect in a church back stateside. Everyone on the shore began to sing. They lifted their voices as one and they sang:

“I have decided to follow Jesus

The cross in front of me,

The world behind me.

The things I used to do I will do no more.

I have decided to follow Jesus.”

They continued to sing until the last person had been baptized and as we all walked back to the church they sang. Every member of the congregation stood tall and they sang with pride, conviction, and hope as they proclaimed their faith to every member of the community as we walked back through the streets. 

It was a moment that was beautiful, magical and mystifying. And now as I stood in a small house church in Bolivia on the other side of the world, the same proclamation is being made. As the song ended I had become misty eyed and amazed at the beauty of it all. At times the world can seem so big, but in all reality it is not that different. Countries, generations, and people all have their differences, which are wonderful and needed, but we are also far more similar than what we ever seem to notice. And I am here to stand tall and say:

“I have decided to follow Jesus.

No turning back. No turning back.”

As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask. I hope you have a wonderful day.