When I was a young girl living with my missionary parents in Bujumbura, the capital city of the country of Burundi in Africa, we lived in a house with a large yard and lots of trees. This house was built on the side of a mountain, and the yard was terraced. There were two front yards, a side yard on one side and two back yards.

My brother, sister and I were playing in the lower backyard, closest to the house, under some trees when we heard plop-plop! We looked in that direction and saw that three green mamba snakes, two wrapped up together, had fallen out of the large tree near us. We started yelling “Snake!” in English and Swahili. The snakes separated from each other and slithered toward the house.

Two of the snakes slithered into a large packing crate sitting, open-side down, by the house. Mom used it as a plant stand for her violets. The third snake slinked toward the back door and got between the door frame and the burglar bar frame.

Mom and the African kitchen helper emerged from one of the other doors. They removed the plants from the top of the crate and then turned it over. After carefully pulling out the packing material fastened to the sides of the box, they found and took care of the two snakes. 

What were they to do about the third snake in the doorway? They couldn’t reach it between the door frames.

The neighbor lady, the wife of one of the other missionaries, heard the commotion and came over with a can of insect spray. “Try it,” she told my mom, who aimed the can between the frames of the door and the metal burglar bar and sprayed. 

A short time later, the snake peered its head out from around the door frame, weaving like it was drunk. It was promptly dispatched and removed so we could use the door again.

The Bible calls Satan a serpent, and he does everything he can to get between people and the way to God, just like that snake got between us and the way into the house. God’s word is the best “insect spray” to dispatch the serpent and keep the way open. 

Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). We are to take God’s word to those everywhere who have not had the opportunity to learn of Him. 

Ask God to show you how you can help. He may want you to become a missionary or ask you to financially support missionaries already in the field or those who are going out. Please also pray for God’s work and His workers around the world.

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