You know those moments when you realize something big, something important,
has just occurred and so a shiver runs through your body? Yesterday, I
enjoyed one of those moments. A young Pal believer directed the Church
meeting immediately following the teaching. He asked the congregation if
they agreed with the proposal set before them, and they replied with one
strong unified voice. “Yes!” they shouted in agreement, and a shiver
coursed through me.
We’ve been talking with the believers about our responsibility as the Church
to share Jesus’ message with the world. If we believers remain quiet, how
then are others going to hear the most important talk in the universe? As
Jesus sent out his disciples and commanded them to spread His Gospel to
every corner of the earth, so he commands us today to carry on this work.
A couple Sundays ago we presented the idea of taking literacy and the Gospel
to another area of Pal. The idea first formed a few months ago in a meeting
between us missionaries and the Pal literacy school committee. We prayed
about it, and discussed it, and found we were of one mind. So, a while
later we presented the idea to the Church, for we knew the work load would
fall on the shoulders of the whole Body here in our corner of Pal.
We proposed that first we would see a literacy school built in a place
called Nabalume, and teachers from here would go there to teach the men and
women there how to read and write. Then later mature believers from here
would take God’s Word there, teach it to them, and give it to them to read
themselves.
Prior to the vote, much discussion took place. I was not hearing dissenting
opinions so I wondered what the point was of all the discussion. However,
as I continued to listen, I realized they were encouraging and strengthening
each other for the task ahead. They understand that it will be a lot of
work. And they understand that they may not be treated well in a new place.
But, more importantly, they understand the value of God’s Word and that the
work must be done.
It will be a while yet before Literacy School gets started in this new
place, and even longer before the Gospel goes over there. But the decision
has been made and God’s children here are ready to do the work. Please pray
for the Pal believers that they would continue to seek God and know Him,
grow into maturity in Christ, and carry on the task of sharing Christ with
the world. Pray for them as they prepare to take literacy and God’s Word
away from home for the first time.