Help me! Help me!” cried Jeanne. “A snake bit me!” Jeanne and her husband, Moses, live in the village of Koutie-Tchatidor in the northwest part of Benin. The village is located far out in the bush. It takes about an hour to get to a hospital because of the bad roads. Jeanne was bitten by a serpent while in a field of ingnams (a giant root crop). At the time, I was attending a meeting in another town about three hours south of Koutie-Tchatidor. The church brothers called me on the … [Read more...]
Remember to pray before you travel
Yadhaiah, a Gospel Outreach worker in India, had purchased a new bike. He asked me to offer a prayer dedicating the bike to God. I read Psalm 121 and told him that the Lord would protect him as he came and went, but he should always pray before he traveled. One night he was traveling. Suddenly a bus loomed before him. With just inches to spare, it missed him. Yadhaiah knelt down beside the road and prayed. The next Sabbath he gave a testimony and thanked God for giving him a new life. … [Read more...]
Remove the idols
Shyam Hansda was from a Hindu background, but he wasn’t satisfied with his religion. He felt that something was missing from his life. He was still searching for truth and had asked his friends for suggestions. One day he saw a well-dressed man in his village and stopped to talk to him. He told the man that he wasn’t happy with his religion and wanted to know if the stranger knew of a religion that would make his life useful. The stranger was a pastor who wasted no time in telling … [Read more...]
Visit us again
As Beverly Thompson, a regional director for Gospel Outreach, and her companions rode in a taxi in eastern Jharkhand, India, she noticed that they kept passing thin men pushing bicycles heavily loaded with huge sacks filled with some lumpy material. “What is in those bags?” Beverly asked. “That’s coal,” answered the pastor in charge of the trip. “Each bike carries 1,000 to 1,400 pounds. These men make their living carting coal to sell.” About noon the taxi came upon … [Read more...]
Gospel spreads in dangerous country
Today we are discussing a country torn by poverty and violence. For security reasons, but in hopes of what this country could be, we will call it Shangri-La. Here Christians are virtually nonexistent. As we travel in Shangri-La, we see people waving placards bearing slogans that denounce peacekeeping forces. But underneath this show of support for militants is deep resentment in some quarters. The militants are not always liked. Despite the name we’ve chosen for this country, life here is … [Read more...]
‘Even the weather is in the Book?’
Karamial Hembrom is a Hindu man. He and his family did not like having Christians in their village. The Christians ate all kinds of things that the Hindus wouldn’t eat. On the day I met Karamial we talked about the weather, his field work and other things. Seeing me well-dressed, he asked where I was going and what work I did. “I am a preacher,” I said. “I tell people about the end of time, and that they should change their sinful ways and come closer to God and be … [Read more...]
Sonath’s recovery
Sonath Tudu often was sick. His family took him to various Hindu temples, offered sacrifices and spent much money for doctors. Facing heavy financial difficulty, the family began to sell off portions of their land. Sonath’s children went to public school where they got one proper meal a day provided by the government. One day Sonath realized that some of his friends in the village had become Christians. Their children went to private schools, and their lives were noticeably better than … [Read more...]
‘Could I attend your church now?’
Joshua Murmu grew up with Hindu rituals. Over time, his father died, and his mother was driven out of the house because other family members considered her an unlucky woman. She took Joshua and moved to her brother’s house until she could find other accommodations. Joshua’s uncle was a kind-hearted man, but his wife didn’t tolerate them long. So Joshua’s mother built a mud house at the end of the village and found work as a laborer for daily wages. As a teenager, Joshua studied in … [Read more...]
God brings peace to chaotic family
Gabriel Marandi belonged to a non-Adventist church. Having friends and relatives who were not interested in God or any other religion, Gabriel started to neglect God and enjoy the pleasures of the world. He began to drink heavily. His family members counseled with him, but nothing helped. He fancied that eventually they would adjust to his ways. Some years passed. His habits worsened. He and his family stopped going to church. Nobody from the church came to visit. Members in his family were … [Read more...]
Miracle of the 80-year wound
He was a man of high caste, but when young he got a boil on his right ankle. Although he spent lots of money for medicines and treatments, the boil never went away. He kept it bandaged and hobbled around as best he could with a cane or crutch. Friends who had become Adventists came to his home several times and prayed for him. They encouraged him to come with them to church. Finally, he accepted, and they helped him hobble to the little church in the village. Gospel Outreach worker Sanjeva … [Read more...]