KENYA — “Jesus wept.” This verse from John’s Gospel (John 11: 35) is the one that young people often choose when asked to memorise a Bible verse, simply because it is the shortest. For one Kenyan girl it has a much deeper meaning, though, as Morgan Jackson, International Director of Hosanna Ministries, discovered when he visited her school.

Girls at a school in the Maasai region of Kenya, who have received FCBH audio Scriptures. Photo: Hosanna (KEN06DJ-138.JPG)

“It took nearly all day to reach the school, deep in the heart of Maasai country. It seemed to suddenly appear out of the middle of nowhere! As soon as we arrived, the teachers gathered together the girls, who ranged in age from 13 to 20, so that they could tell us for themselves about the impact of our gift of audio Scriptures. They were shy at first, but gradually they began to talk.

“Before Faith Comes By Hearing arrived, they explained, they would try to read the Bible but they could never really understand it properly. But now, when they listen to the Scriptures, they feel as if they are in the story and Jesus is speaking to them directly.

Those who mourn

“My attention was drawn to two girls in particular because I did not understand what they were saying at first. One said that the Scripture that had the greatest impact on her was in the Beatitudes, where Jesus says, ‘Happy are those who mourn. God will comfort them!’ [Matthew 5:4]. She said, ‘I know now that no matter how long I mourn Jesus will eventually comfort me.’

“I couldn’t help wondering why such a young girl should have to mourn.

“Then the second girl stood up and spoke shyly, her head bowed. ‘The Scripture that had the greatest impact on me was where it says that Jesus wept,’ she explained. ‘In the night when I weep, I know that Jesus weeps with me.’

Cut to the heart

“Again, I wondered why she should be crying, alone, at night.

“Then the teacher whispered to me: both these girls had lost their parents to AIDS. In that moment, I was cut to the heart and my smile at this young girl for quoting the shortest verse in the Bible turned into sorrow for her loss. I had only ever thought of that verse as the shortest in the Bible, but now I saw that it had a deeper meaning.

“Jesus shares our sorrow and weeps with us when we mourn. In that moment, this Scripture became real to me again.

Revive the nation

“Then one of the girls began to pray. As she prayed, we were all greatly moved because she was praying for the nation of Kenya and for its people. She asked God to revive the nation and claimed with confidence that the girls of this school would be a key part of that revival. Faith to reach the nation had come from hearing God’s Word.”