Tuesday started the week off here at WCS, and included a very interesting assembly. Not many students were sure why an assembly was called, but at the end of seventh period, everyone made their way over to the sanctuary to gather. Pastor Larry Vanderaa was the special speaker who came to talk about his experiences with a particular Islamic ethnic group in West Africa.
Mr. Vanderaa has been a missionary for quite some time and has focused his ministry on reaching out to Muslims. The specific group that he spoke about on this day was a nomadic Muslim tribe called the Fulani. He began saying how he and his family moved and lived with the Fulani group for many years. This involved eating with them, dressing like them, spending time with them, and respecting them.
Mr. Vanderaa wanted to make sure that they knew he cared for them before he told them about the message of Christ. After 12 years of devotion to these people, one member of the Fulani converted to Christianity. Sixteen years after that, the majority of their tribe was now following Jesus Christ.
After this inspiring story, Pastor Larry played a video slideshow of pictures from his experiences along with a worship song praising Allah. He then pointed out the similarities between how we view Christ and how Muslims view Him.
Pastor Larry Vanderaa then started to make his main point. He encouraged everyone to be loving towards people of different groups, religions, and backgrounds. If we learn to welcome in those who have different beliefs or perceptions, we may get the chance to teach them about God’s love and the great news of Jesus Christ.
By Brittany Booth
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