Reaping the Harvest 

Jesus gave this instruction in Luke 10:2: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” 

Jesus said this almost two thousand years ago, and the workers are still few to this day. Where are the workers for the harvest? 

Thanks to modern technology, when a great international leader dies, the whole world knows in a matter of hours. But it has been two thousand years since Jesus, the Lord of lords, died on the cross and not everyone knows about this episode of history that changed the world!

People all around the world, and also in Cape Verde, have yet to hear the good news. Cape Verde, also called Cabo Verde, is a beautiful archipelago with picturesque beaches and paradisiacal landscapes. It is made up of ten islands in the North Atlantic, but only nine are inhabited. The islands, which have a combined population of 568,000 people, belong to the African continent, being 620 kilometers (385 miles) from Senegal. Cape Verde is a strategic region, as the islands are between Africa, Europe, and America. 

A majority of the nation is Christian, but roughly 77 percent is Catholic, and only 5 percent is Protestant. The rest are divided among those with no religious affiliation (10.8 percent), those who other religious traditions (1.3 percent), Muslims (1.8 percent), and those who didn’t specify a religious affiliation (0.7 percent). Fortunately, Christians have the freedom to preach the gospel on the streets and in schools. This is an important opportunity because nearly half of Cape Verde’s population is under the age of twenty-five.[i] 

Despite its beauty, the nation faces many problems, including the abuse of children. This is why we cannot stop. We must reach the nine islands. We have the Word that transforms! We have the saving truth. We know the real liberator. We have the power of the Holy Spirit in us. We have the guarantee of victory. We have what no one else can offer to suffering people. And all this makes us even more responsible to reach the lost in the world.

May we have in our mouths the same words as Isaiah: “Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me’” (Isaiah 6:8). 

May the Lord trouble us with the burden to bring in His kingdom harvest!

Prayer Requests 

· Pray that the church will be in love with Jesus in such a way that winning others is a natural part of their daily lives.

· Pray that more missionaries will come to Cape Verde. Pray that new workers will arise from among the nationals. 

    

[i] “Cabo Verde,” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, accessed November 25, 2019, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cv.html.