Meet Sano
Sano is a name that you should all be familiar with if you’ve read the last few Charis newsletters. As a quick recap, Sano was a young man who terrorized an entire area of a village. Everyone was afraid of the black magic that he would practice against people. I wasn’t aware of Sano until a vodou priestess (who I was sharing the gospel with) told me about him and literally begged me to go to him.
When I showed up to his home, I immediately saw a small grave that represented his allegiance to a very dark demon. God empowered me at that point and I opened the conversation by asking Sano why he was tempting God to destroy him where he sat. I immediately saw repentance expressed across his face. From that point on, Sano was convicted about everything that he had been doing in his life. I saw God call his heart right in front of me and by the end of that very first meeting, he wanted a Bible. And he asked me if I would be willing to come every day to teach him the Bible.
"God empowered me at that point and I opened the conversation by asking Sano why he was tempting God to destroy him where he sat."
Due to additional ministry obligations, I couldn’t possibly come every day. I did agree to come 3 times a week to teach him about Jesus and the Christian life. After 3 weeks and 9 two-hour Bible studies, Sano felt that he knew enough about the gospel to begin to share it. And he did!
When I would go to his home for studies, there would be over 20 people there to hear the good news about Jesus Christ. I initially met Sano in September of 2015. We returned to the States in October of 2015 and stayed through January. When we arrived back in Haiti in January, Sano gave me immediate assurance, through his life and display of knowledge, that he had not regressed in any way, but had continued forward in zeal and was ready to continue studying.
"He asks me for almost 15 Bibles each week to distribute to the people that he is personally sharing the gospel with."
Fast forward to today. Sano has asked if he could follow me around every day sharing the gospel with vodou priests and priestesses. He asks me for almost 15 Bibles each week to distribute to the people that he is personally sharing the gospel with. An ex-vodou priest who has been saved for only a few months is sharing the gospel with 15 people a week. This should make many Christians in America hang their heads in shame. In one week, Sano will share the gospel with more people than the average American Christian will in a lifetime, according to current statistics. And he has virtually no resources, no strategic planning meetings, and no degree. So what is our excuse for not sharing the gospel with 15 people a week when we have resources and education beyond what is needed? Just ponder this.
So it goes without saying that we are very excited to see what God has planned for this young man’s life. Please pray for him, and pray that his zeal for the Lord stays focused and productive in Kingdom building work in Haiti! (Sano was baptized on the same day that Latigue was baptized in April.)