“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
(I Corinthians 15:58)
Our supporters are amazingly gracious and thoughtful. We are blessed to have the opportunity you have provided us to share the Gospel in Asia. Thank you for all the prayers, extra giving, and regular and faithful support. I have been told, “The work of the Lord is a marathon, not a sprint.” When it must be done through first learning a tonal language, it is especially a marathon.
While out one day passing out tracts, S___ and the girls met a group of young people. Most of them were high school students, but one of them, T___, was a college student. My wife gave T___ my contact, and I began texting with him. He was very eager to speak in English. The next day, I asked T___ if he would be interested in having lunch where we could talk more. Though nervous about his English, he happily agreed. I told him if it made him feel more comfortable, he could bring a friend. He brought his friend S___ to meet me and have lunch. We sat down at a pizza place and chatted for a while. As when we first arrived on the mainland, I waited for the Holy Spirit to open a door of opportunity. Sure enough, the door opened. T___ had started learning the piano when he was eight years old. I said, “That is great. I started learning something that changed my life at eight years old as well!” He was naturally curious and asked what it was. I told him, “That is when I learned about why Jesus died on the Cross.” With that statement, I asked if they knew anything about that topic. Neither T___ nor S___ knew a lot, though T___ had gone to a Catholic high school. I asked if I could explain it to them, and they agreed. I was able to share the full Gospel message with them and then asked them if they had any questions. Both replied “No questions.” So, I asked, “Would you like to accept Jesus as your Saviour right now?” The silence was very prevalent. I could see T___ was interested but not ready to commit just yet. S___ was uncomfortably waiting for T___ to say something. So, after a minute or two, I gave them an escape, and both of them took it. Then we continued our previous discussion. I invited them to church and told them to text me if they had any questions about the Bible. The seed was planted, and we are praying that, with a little watering and weeding, T___ and S___ will decide to trust Jesus soon.
The Lord is regularly opening doors of opportunity and avenues of service. We were also approached by a lady asking for someone to teach her the Bible so she could share the Gospel with all her friends and neighbors. Please pray that through this opportunity, many will come to know Jesus as Saviour. Also pray that our preparation work and the Lord’s guidance of opportunities will meet at the point where we can see the Lord make a great impact here in Asia.
We continue to pray for opportunities to meet with our mainland “friends” face to face. We have been able to consistently meet with them via social media since we arrived. They continue to need prayer and guidance in not only reaching out to others and leading them to Christ, but also with struggles and strongholds in their own lives. Please pray for wisdom concerning this issue, as well as for our language fluency and opportunities to share the Gospel.
Bound to His service,
Missionary #6004
