Flat Tire - Full Heart

“I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:23, NIV.

Even amidst the difficulties of spreading the Gospel to my people, God gives me encouragement. I ride a bicycle all over the countryside, going from village to village to share the truth of God’s wonderful salvation through our LORD, Jesus Christ.

There are 4,160 people (1,090 households) in the area where I'm sowing the Gospel seeds. Since March of 2006, I have shared the Gospel every day with two households or five people. During this time, I've shared the Gospel with 960 people, and 130 have come to know Christ as personal LORD and Savior. Twenty-five of these have already been baptized, while another 18 are awaiting baptism. 

One of the couples that came to faith in Christ has really encouraged me. They own a provisions shop.  Both of them are high school graduates, which is a high educational level in the area where they live. They are persons of peace and means. My bicycle tire had a hole, and they offered to help me. They invited me into their home, and I shared the Gospel with them. I left a cassette tape on the life of Jesus with them. They had a great Buddhist altar in their home, but have receiving the Message of the Gospel – they seemed irresistibly drawn to Jesus. They could not reject the Gospel – but came to faith! 

They now have a prayer meeting in their house with their family and neighbors. The prayer meeting is regularly attended by 20 to 25 people. This family is showing other people the life of Jesus by their words and actions, and four more people recently converted to Christianity through their witness.   

Another encouragement is a 97-year-old woman named Emily,* She came to faith nine years ago and established the habit of memorizing one verse a day. She studies the Bible every day, and can now recite Psalms 1 to 112 by memory!

*Name changed for security reasons. Excerpt from the testimony of a local evangelist working in a Last Frontier area of the Pacific Rim.

Pray that:

God will continue to lead this evangelist to people of peace.

The provision shop owners will continue to share the Gospel through words and actions that reflect lives transformed by the power of God.

Emily will teach other believers to value and memorize the Word through her godly example.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.