“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation,” 1 Pt. 1:3
It is with overwhelming gratitude and joy that I write to you tonight to report that there are new names written down in glory! God in His grace and mercy has reached down and snatched several precious souls from the throws of Hell, and claimed them for His own for all eternity! Praise the Lord with us, for He has answered your prayers and for the sake of His Son, enlarged His Bride this week!
Several of this small group have confessed Christ as their Risen Savior. What a joy to behold the faces of new born believer as they exclaim the elation of being Freed from their sin!
Ewoneng is a widow who is a strong voice in the village. At the presentation of the Gospel, she was beside herself with joy, clapping and laughing and rejoicing. She could not contain herself as she said these words, “ My sin was like the cloth that wrapped Lazarus in his tomb. It was all around me; it consumed me. As you have taught God’s Word from the beginning, I began to understand more and more. Now I know that Jesus took the wrappings of my sin with Him to the Cross, and completely paid for all of it.”
After the last lesson, David came and said he wanted to talk in the house with us later. About an hour later he came and wanted to share that he was believing in Jesus as his Savior. He started to cry as he talked about how he had broken God’s law, he said that he knew he was a sinner but Jesus died for him. He couldn’t contain himself he was so overwhelmed with emotion. He said he knew about Jesus dying on the cross, but he never understood that it was in payment for his sin. He said, “The law was lying to me, telling me that I could go to God if I followed the law. But Jesus is telling me now that I will go to him when I die because of what He did.” Then he thanked us for coming. Still in tears, he said, “You guys came every week, and I know how hard the road was for you to come here over the mountains. Thank you so much for coming.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the room!
Mok, David’s wife, was also full of emotion as she proclaimed that Jesus is her “Kidaak Aamna” (the man who saves)!
There were several testimonies like this. When the teachers were explaining about the veil being torn, showing that the door to God was open, Bun began laughing out loud, grinning from ear to ear with excitement. Later that night he also gave a clear testimony, praising the Lord for taking away the penalty for his sin by paying his debt in full.
We are also praising the Lord for the work He has done in the Bible teachers over the weeks. As they threw their hearts and souls into the presentation of the Gospel and the drama they portrayed of the Crucifixion, the meaningfulness of what they were doing was abundantly evident on their faces, in their voices, and in their personal testimonies. Isn’t it amazing how talking about salvation and what the Lord has done causes us individually to fall deeper in love with our Savior? It was so sweet to see their passion and discernment, even as they recognized that there are a few who by their conversations, it was clear that they still are not grasping the Message for themselves. Please continue praying for Jacob. His attitude is different, and we can see the Lord chipping away at his heart. He is more attentive and asking more questions, but not quite ready to humble himself by realizing that there is absolutely nothing he can do to save himself. Unfortunately, there are a few like him, still unsure what to think about it all.
But the work is just beginning! We know the Lord will continue working on their hearts and drawing them to Himself. There is much to be done, and so much that these baby brothers and sisters have to learn! They decided that they want to continue the teaching on Sundays, thereby totally replacing the teaching they were receiving from their traditional religious leaders. As we continue to work on writing Bible lessons and prepare for our home assignment, the Bible teachers and Ralf will take turns hiking up there once a week on Saturdays, staying the night and teaching on Sundays. We are excited to watch how the Lord is going to lead and grow this new group of believers!
Rejoice with us! We are filled with thanksgiving when we think of each of you who have had a part in bringing the Good News to these dear ones! You have prayed for them, many of them by name, and you have prayed for our families, for safety, strength and endurance, you have encouraged us with your notes and gifts of love. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We can’t wait to share with you in person the stories and pictures of what the Lord has been doing in Dinangat! It’s a good day to be a missionary!
By His Grace and For His Glory!
Jeremiah, April, Jordan, Judah and Alayna