Dear Friends and Family,
I count it as a privilege to share with you about what I have been privileged to do here in my country.
On December 12, I started getting sick. By December 13th I was unable to get up from my bed, but by God’s grace I was up and about by the 16th. I did not have much strength, but I trusted in the Lord every step of the way. The Lord used me to go to various different places.
Christmas is a season when there is freedom for us to have public events. Also many who are unreached come to churches. They think that Jesus is one among the other gods. It is a great opportunity to share the Gospel. Because of this, many try to go to as many places as possible to use this opportunity and so did I.
I traveled along with some men who are in our fellowship. The Lord used me to share His Word in many places.
The place where we run a Bible school is about 5 hours away from where we did ministry this Christmas. Even though it is far, the Lord has opened doors for me in this area. I have been praying about what the Lord would lead me to do in regards to the ministry in this area. People in this area are interested to go and share about Jesus, but they do not have anyone who encourages them or is able to teach them the Word.
You might wonder how they have this desire. About a year and a half ago, I conducted a youth retreat for 2 days. That is when most of the people got saved. They have kept in touch with me and also with four of my pastor friends who are from this area.
I had open doors in these areas because one or two people in each of the different places made the arrangements for me to share the Gospel in different villages and also at a school.
During this whole time, I was privileged to hear stories of how some of the people got saved. After many years of marriage, some of the families had still not had children, however after I prayed for them, some of them have had children. Some others are expecting a child. I am thankful to the Lord for using me in this. The joy of this is that the people (who were from a different faith) had made a decision in their hearts, that if God gives them a child then they with accept him as their Lord and Savior! Now their houses are filled with light. Their old practices and all the wall hangings from the past faith and belief are no longer there. Glory to God for what He has done!
Another thing that has brought me great joy is what happened with a man from a village. Before, he was not able to have peace. He listed to teachings from different religions, but was not at all satisfied. He even heard some teachings from the Bible from different people who were teaching the prosperity Gospel, but he was not satisfied. He listed to some music which helped him feel peace, however he was in search for the truth.
There is no church in this man’s village. He goes to college in another town. When he asked around, he learned that there was a church in that town. He tried to go to the church there, but he was unable to. However, 3 weeks ago he finally was able to come to the church. It was right when I was teaching at this church. He wanted to meet me after church, so he asked one of the men in the church. The next day we spent time together. I shared the Gospel with him. By the end of our conversation, he was on his knees in tears. He said, “Today I have true peace in my heart like I have never felt before. I have never felt so light and so joyous my life.” I gave him a Bible and have been in touch with him.
He told his family that he has accepted Christ. His family said, “If that is where your heart is, we will not stop you from it.” Glory to God alone!
Going around sharing the Gospel in different places allowed me to minister to various kinds of people. Among the groups, there were gangsters at different places. They heard the Gospel. I was privileged to meet five men personally who gave their lives to the Lord. How wonderful it is to see the Lord ministering to the younger generation! What a privilege it is for me to see the Lord use me. He has chosen. He has trained. He has sent. He has given opportunities. He alone gets the glory as He chose them all. I am privileged to work in the Lord’s vineyard.
As the year began, I was privileged to attend New Years service at 3 different locations after our church service. On January 3rd I traveled back home for my parents’ wedding anniversary on the 4th. My cousin got married on January 7th. So from the 5th until the 8th, I spent time with family and made arrangements for the wedding.
On the 9th, I traveled to do ministry at another location that is 9 hours away from my home. I shared God’s Word at one place for three days while my dad and mom did at a nearby location. Then I was back to church on Sunday. On Monday morning, I again went to another town. On January 16th, I will be sharing God’s Word at one other place and then will be returning home.
I have shared with you all good and exciting things that happened, but there were many challenges along the way. Some places we were forced to leave because they did now want us to share the Gospel. In other places we were warned not to do anything in public. The hindrances are present, but looking at the opportunities God creates in between is joyous. Please pray as the Lord uses me and our guys. Thank you!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor 4*
*Names and faces have been changed or omitted for security reasons.