About a week after attending the D'Sozo camp, I went canvassing with a couple of friends in our home town. As we canvassed, I prayed for God's blessing and leading that we might reach some soul in need. I had been canvassing for about three hours and had many closed doors. But I continued to pray. As I walked to the next door I was met with two dogs, but they looked quite friendly, so I entered the yard and walked up the stairs with the dogs following behind. I knocked and a middle aged lady came to the door. I canvassed her, and seeing a rather hardened look on her face I shared with her Peace Above the Storm. When she saw the title, she said, "Oh yes, I'd be happy to take a read of that; it looks good." So she gave a donation and took the book - stating that she would be sitting down to take a read as the heat restricted a lot of other activities. Strengthened from this experience, and with another prayer I ventured to the next door.
I prayed for blessing, and after knocking a couple of times with no answer I started to leave. But just as I was walking across the front yard, a car drove in the driveway. While I was canvassing them I asked, "What do you enjoy reading?" The man replied, "I read a lot of history." So I said, "Well, I've got the perfect book for you," and showed him The Great Controversy. He took a brief look, and said, "Yep, looks good. I'll get that." I smiled, and praised God for yet another answer to prayer.
Two doors later I knocked, and a lady came to the door. I canvassed her Bountiful Health, The Great Controversy, and Peace Above the Storm, but she wasn't really interested. So I started up a conversation with her, asking about her religion and background. She was a Christian, and she told me that she had many reasons to be. I asked about her grandchildren and herself, seeking to find an avenue for which to share a message book. She told me that she studies her Bible and says her prayers - so I seized the opportunity and showed her Lessons of Love, the book we particularly like to share with Christians. She was quite interested and after taking a look, she gave us a donation and took the book. Then I said something like, "It's such a blessing to be Christians; we have such an amazing life in the future (eternity) to look forward to!"She said, "Well yes, but you're still young. You've got a long way to go; I'm counting down now." I smiled and replied,"Yes, but eternity in comparison with this life is worth it! - don't you think?" She agreed. As we were talking, she mentioned a number of times that fact that she knew without a doubt Christianity was definitely not a mistake, and she had many real reasons to be Christian. So we continued talking and then it all came out. "I'm one of fourteen children of whom I am the only girl," she began. "When I was very young my great-grandmother would have to come at night to try to pacify me at because my father would be abusing my mother and I would be terrified. All, except one, of my brothers - of whom I have thirteen - died or were killed in infancy. Only one is now living. And because of all this I hold on to my religion; it is what keeps me going." I couldn't help but say a hearty amen! As I said goodbye and left the door I said, "I'll be praying for you, and I'm sure you'll gain a great blessing from that book! God bless you!"
That experience really got me thinking: if someone out there who I might have passed by as being of the world has truly found in Christianity her strength - how much more ought we to be living out Christianity despite hardship and temptations!
-Ash
Wednesday 23 March 2016
Thursday 3 March 2016
Grace's Testimony - Sharing With A Friend
We're really excited to share with you the first testimony submission we've received! Thanks so much for sharing, Grace - that's a wonderful opportunity you had to share about God!
[Background: In my senior years of high school (I went to a public school), I shared about the Bible and God to a good friend of mine. I was extremely excited when I was sharing it with him, and at that moment, he seemed interested. One thing for sure, when you’re excited about God - you’re crazy for Him (in a good way)! After some time, I decided to invite him to church (I did this a few times), but he would often decline, and say that he was busy, and come another time. I started to get the feeling that he wasn't really interested in God anymore; perhaps I had shared too much that I scared him. After graduating high school, most of my friends went their own way, as did I, so contact with this friend of mine wasn't as frequent.]
The other day after I had finished class at uni, I went to catch up with a couple of old high school friends, one of them being my good friend. We spoke for about an hour before my other friend had to leave to pick her brother up. So I was left with my good friend. We continued talking, and reflecting about how things, and people, have changed since graduating, when he randomly told me how a work colleague of his asked him the other day if he knew about God! I was completely shocked about this, as earlier that morning I had prayed and asked God to make an opening so that I could share more about Christ to him. (God had answered my prayer!)
God is so good! For about half an hour to an hour, we spoke purely just about God! I was absolutely thrilled to be able to share more about God, and that my friend was accepting and wanted to learn more about Him. He also told me how his work colleague had also just found out about God, through her own searching of the Word and was excited, and wanted to go on a mission for God! She was also looking for a church which matched the beliefs and things she had been reading, especially based on the book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Jesus. My friend told me how he was interested about this, and would like to know more about God, so I said that we might be able to do Bible studies. (God willing!) My friend also told me, how he has noticed that there is really nothing much to this life, everything around is dying, and all bad. I told him how this was all prophesied in the bible, and that “...there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
God is merciful, and never gives up on anybody, and just as we humans think we have done what we can to reach to someone, God does something miraculous. Sometimes all we have to do as vessels for Christ, is to wait and be patient, even when we feel discouraged, or impatient. We must remember, that God is patient with us, and that our job is to only plant the seed into the hearts of others, and He will nurture and grow the plant.- Grace.
It's one of our hopes that this blog would be a way to give each other prayer support also, so please keep Grace and her friend in your prayers. And we're looking forward to being able to share your testimonies next - you can submit them here! :)
God bless!
[Background: In my senior years of high school (I went to a public school), I shared about the Bible and God to a good friend of mine. I was extremely excited when I was sharing it with him, and at that moment, he seemed interested. One thing for sure, when you’re excited about God - you’re crazy for Him (in a good way)! After some time, I decided to invite him to church (I did this a few times), but he would often decline, and say that he was busy, and come another time. I started to get the feeling that he wasn't really interested in God anymore; perhaps I had shared too much that I scared him. After graduating high school, most of my friends went their own way, as did I, so contact with this friend of mine wasn't as frequent.]
The other day after I had finished class at uni, I went to catch up with a couple of old high school friends, one of them being my good friend. We spoke for about an hour before my other friend had to leave to pick her brother up. So I was left with my good friend. We continued talking, and reflecting about how things, and people, have changed since graduating, when he randomly told me how a work colleague of his asked him the other day if he knew about God! I was completely shocked about this, as earlier that morning I had prayed and asked God to make an opening so that I could share more about Christ to him. (God had answered my prayer!)
God is so good! For about half an hour to an hour, we spoke purely just about God! I was absolutely thrilled to be able to share more about God, and that my friend was accepting and wanted to learn more about Him. He also told me how his work colleague had also just found out about God, through her own searching of the Word and was excited, and wanted to go on a mission for God! She was also looking for a church which matched the beliefs and things she had been reading, especially based on the book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Jesus. My friend told me how he was interested about this, and would like to know more about God, so I said that we might be able to do Bible studies. (God willing!) My friend also told me, how he has noticed that there is really nothing much to this life, everything around is dying, and all bad. I told him how this was all prophesied in the bible, and that “...there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
God is merciful, and never gives up on anybody, and just as we humans think we have done what we can to reach to someone, God does something miraculous. Sometimes all we have to do as vessels for Christ, is to wait and be patient, even when we feel discouraged, or impatient. We must remember, that God is patient with us, and that our job is to only plant the seed into the hearts of others, and He will nurture and grow the plant.- Grace.
It's one of our hopes that this blog would be a way to give each other prayer support also, so please keep Grace and her friend in your prayers. And we're looking forward to being able to share your testimonies next - you can submit them here! :)
God bless!