How the Gift of Just One Goat Transformed an Entire Village
Recently, in a remote village in Nigeria, the gift of a goat and the love of Jesus changed everything! For decades this small village lived with poverty and deep-rooted tension between Christians and Muslims. Even though Islamic leaders in the village often persecuted Christians, Call of Hope co-workers responded with love in the face of hatred. They decided to give a goat to the daughter of the Imam in the village. In response, the Muslim leader was truly astonished by the friendship and care shown to his daughter and his family. Muslims in the village at first could not understand why and how the Christians could show such kindness to those who had treated them so scornfully. But then, slowly they began to recognize the genuineness of the Christians, and caught a glimpse of the love of Jesus.
Later, the leader of the village asked our team leader if he could help the village get water. For decades, families had to walk a long distance to get water at a well many kilometers away at a neighboring village. They had tried to dig a well many times but the ground was far too rocky to drill a borehole deep enough to reach the water. Our COH team prayed and fasted that God would miraculously provide water to the village! After many days of drilling, the result was discouraging with only dry dust being produced from the borehole. The COH team continued to pray that God would show Himself strong and provide the miracle of water! Then, one day late in the evening the drilling crew was about to give up, they decided to dig just a little deeper. With the entire village looking on, all of sudden, beautiful water began to gush high into the air!
As all in the village were filled with excitement and joy at the site of the overflowing water, the village Imam shouted at the top of his lungs “THIS IS JESUS WATER!”
Several days later, at a ceremony to open the new well, with all of the local village elders present, the village Imam made a shocking public announcement! With all ears listening, he proclaimed that after seeing the love shown by the Christians and the power of their God, all Muslims in the village were now free to become Christians!
God opened the door to spiritual rebirth for entire village through the gift of just one simple goat!
