Baruta, chief of the Malangos, was a very old man, and he had several wives. All these wives had daughters except Ofesa, the youngest. She had a baby son called Osagi. This meant that when the old chief died, Ofesa’s son would be chief, and the other wives were jealous. They treated Ofesa badly and Ofesa continually scolded them in return.
Baruta, wearying of the quarreling, beat Ofesa so severely that she ran away taking Osagi with her.
Ofesa went and lived with her grandmother, and she showed her the tattoo marks on Osagi’s hip that proclaimed him the rightful chief of the Malangos.
“I only wait for Baruta to die,” she said; “then Osagi shall return and become chief.”
But when Baruta died, it was a long time before Ofesa heard the news. The old chief’s brother, Kongu, ruled in his place.
Osagi was eleven when Ofesa heard of Baruta’s death, and being afraid to return herself, she sent Osagi on the journey alone. So Osagi, a fine boy with tight curly hair and a wide smile, set off on foot along the river path.
On the second day he saw a small truck stuck in the deep mud caused by the heavy rains. The owner was trying to heave it out. Osagi came forward and lent a hand, and between them the truck rose out of the mud and was pushed onto the more solid path.
“Where you going?” asked the man. When Osagi told him, he said he was going to Malango also.
Osagi discovered his name was Geoffrey Hunt, and he was taking good news of a God of love to the isolated peoples of the Big Forest. As they journeyed, Geoffrey told Osagi about the Lord Jesus and of how He loved and died for sinners everywhere. Osagi said he would like to be a Christian, only he had a little matter to settle first.
When they arrived at Malango, the chief, Kongu, refused to hear Geoffrey Hunt or to let him speak. Osagi, who had thought much about Jesus, and what a blessing the gospel would be to his people, felt sad about this.
“I wish to be a Christian more than anything else,” he said to himself, “And God will believe me if I make a big sacrifice for Him.”
So Osagi went secretly to Kongu and showed him the tattoo marks.
“If you let my friend speak, I will never tell who I really am,” he said, “and you shall remain chief of the Malangos.”
Kongu, who very much wanted to remain chief, agreed, and Geoffrey Hunt began to preach the gospel to the Malangos.
Many of the people loved the message, and even Kongu found in it a cure for his empty heart. So Osagi’s uncle became a Christian, too.
One day Kongu called the people together. He said, “I am not your rightful chief, since Osagi here bears the tattoo marking him as Baruta’s son.”
The people called for Osagi. He Jack the Sailor His mother asked him to read his Bible every day, but Jack went to sea and didn’t give his Bible another thought. One day he took sick in a foreign port and was rushed to the hospital. In the next bed to him lay an older sailor, dying.
“Mate,” he said to Jack, “I’ve got something here that is very precious to me.” And he pulled out a package of printed gospel messages. “I was a very wild fellow,” he went on, “but reading these has brought me to believe in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and I’m certain of going to be with Him in heaven when I die.”
Jack took the bundle of papers, but he was so embarrassed he didn’t came and stood by his uncle.
“My uncle has ruled you well,” said the boy, “and though I came here to make myself chief, yet now I have found a better path. I would rather be a servant of God than rule in my uncle’s place, and so I ask Mr. Hunt to teach me well so that I may go and teach other tribes the story of Jesus.”
And so it came about that Osagi’s sacrifice became a real blessing to many.
“Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it;... There is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 45:18,21,2218For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:18)
21Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:21‑22).
ML-10/21/1979