Okay, listen. Of all the tens of readers I have out there, I'm sure there are some of you who are not Christians. You don't buy into all that we claim to believe by faith because it really sounds kinda crazy. To you I say, I agree. It sounds crazy to me, too, if I'm being honest. The claims we Christians make are audacious - we should admit that. And sometimes when we go on about what "God did" and make connections that are seemingly not there, it sounds as if we are conjuring up our own reality to help ourselves believe in this "God" that we claim is alive and in control of all things. It especially seems this way when the "all things" that we say God is in control of are dying children and natural disasters and hate. What a Debbie Downer way to start a blog post, right?
But I cannot adequately introduce this man to you unless we get one thing straight.... I absolutely believe in that God. I believe the crazy Bible story miracles and I believe in today story miracles. That belief coexists with the knowledge that it seems crazy to believe. I rest in that tension, but it isn't always comfortable. I've seen suffering that takes the breath right out of me, then I contemplate that there is exponentially more suffering that I cannot see and it leaves me spinning.
Do you know what else leaves me spinning? When I think of one choice in one moment of time that led to one encounter in one person's life that intersected with another person's one choice and the dominos fell in all the right places and it all meant something cosmic.
For example, I wonder when was the first moment Osseh chose to take the steering wheel as a taxi driver?
In that moment, God was steering him toward a life in which he would daily face down evil for the sake of the most vulnerable in Sierra Leone. And it all happened so "randomly."
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| Osseh is pictured here with Erica's mom. |
Long story short.... Osseh was a taxi driver during the time that Erica was traveling to Sierra Leone to adopt her little girl. During those trips, she and others came to trust Osseh deeply and they always arranged to hire him while in country. He became so much more than a taxi driver. He became a guide, protector, facilitator, networker, interpreter, friend, and advocate.
He was the man of peace.
If you are not familiar with the term "man of peace," let me fill you in..... For a long time, missionaries have followed a spiritual practice when establishing a ministry in a new place. Believing that God divinely sent them to this place, they also believed that He had gone before them by preparing someone there to receive them and help in the many ways that are needed when beginning a ministry in a new and often hostile environment. Missionaries still "look" for the man of peace as a first step in beginning their missionary work. There are fascinating stories of how quickly and almost effortlessly these crucial people would surface, finding themselves smack dab in the middle of new circumstances that would lead to relationships that would lead to Gospel partnerships. This concept was fashioned after the words of Christ when he sent out the 70 to preach the good news. He commanded them, "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house,' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him .... Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you .... Do not move around from house to house .... Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you'" Luke 10:5-9
I am convinced that Osseh, the taxi driver, was prepared by God as the man of peace.
Maybe it was all a set of unrelated coincidences that my mind wants to believe were directed by a sovereign God to do a mighty work. Maybe. There's no tangible evidence to prove my theory.
But the intangible evidence is overwhelming. As a former taxi driver, Osseh knows a way to find just about anyone you need to find in a city of over 2 million people. He has a vast knowledge of the people in Freetown. He has a gentle and steady spirit that naturally builds trust and confidence. He is as loyal as he is trustworthy, standing by your side come what may. He has a deep love for Jesus, and his heart breaks for the suffering of the children in his country. Isn't it interesting that THIS man was the one driving the taxi for the woman who would later need someone exactly like him as a Gospel partner when God would call her (them) to inform government officials of injustices being committed, work with community leaders to take action and forge new policies, rescue children from harm's way, and start and run an orphanage? I mean, if you're new to a country you don't even know where to buy diapers!
Now Osseh is the social work director at The Raining Season. I'm not sure what his actual job description is; he just seems to do everything. I know that he is usually the first to learn of a child who is in danger or suffering and is referred to TRS. He does intakes on the children who come home to The Covering and follows up and forms relationships with their families. He oversees each case to ensure that each child receives what he or she needs to grow up healthy in every way.
Osseh was responsible for our team the entire time we were in Sierra Leone. And, except for the unfortunate incident of our team being detained by the U.S. Embassy (sorry 'bout that, Osseh), I'm sure we were a blessing to lead. I learned that he loves Michael W. Smith and if he ever travels to America, the place he would most like to visit is McDonald's. (I'm hoping someone at TRS has his back on that one.) He picked us up from the airport and was our team's trusted chaperone and guide everywhere we went. As we traveled to the children's hospital and visited another orphanage I saw first hand the significant role Osseh plays in extending the ministry of TRS to the entire community. I had heard that Osseh somehow knows everyone in Freetown and I believe it. His reputation of compassion and integrity precedes him, you can tell. He is constantly fielding requests to find help for children in the most desperate situations and has deep wisdom in knowing what is most helpful. I cannot imagine the heavy load this man bears daily with the knowledge of the limitless need and all too limited resources.
Just for fun, I Googled the name "Osseh" to see what it means. Would you believe me if I told you that the name meaning for Osseh is peace? Well, no. Turns out "Osseh" is a pretty uncommon name. IN FACT, if you Google it, you'll come across this blog post, written by Erica about our very own Osseh on the first search page! He's Google-famous, y'all!
But, besides that, my search of "Osseh" did turn up something. Apparently, there is a Jewish song called "Oseh Shalom" that is traditionally sung as a prayer for peace. These are the words, "He who makes peace in His heights may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen." It is the prayer that God would bring shalom - complete peace, contentment, wholeness, well-being, harmony.
On earth as it is in Heaven.
In my humble opinion conviction, it was for this purpose that the God of the universe set THIS saint behind the wheel of a taxi and on the path that was so clearly created for him. Man of peace.
I only got to meet Osseh, twice, this year, but he is a great man, and I appreciate your post! I also met his son, Charles, on my first visit, and he is quite the young gentleman. Thank you for writing this... I miss them!
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