God delights in working
through small groups of people to accomplish great things! A
mustard seed becomes a large plant, and a little leaven spreads
throughout a loaf of bread.
In Southeast Asia a lay pastor and his wife were trained with
funding from the Presbyterian Frontier Mission Fund. They were
assigned to a village church of fifty members. A year later
there were 180 members! How did that happen? The wife felt a
call to train women in embroidery so they could earn money.
Then the husband reported visions in which God told him specific
people with whom to share the good news of Jesus. People believed,
and the church grew—and continues to grow.
In Central Asia a young Muslim woman graduated from medical
school, then took a job translating discipleship materials for
a church. Then she began to follow Jesus. She went back to her
home area and told others. Her brothers beat her, but she persevered.
Six years later she was leading ten house churches that included
her brothers. Presbyterians have come alongside her to encourage
her and provide training.
In Ethiopia a member of a Muslim people group of ten million
became a Christian. He had a dream to set up an organization
to work with our partner church, the Ethiopian Evangelical Church
Mekane Yesus, to build schools in Muslim villages. The church
appoints teachers who are also evangelists. Children are educated,
people are loved, and churches are planted. Now the villages,
still predominantly Muslim, defend “their” schools
and churches against radical Muslims from outside. And all from
the vision of one person!
—Rev. Bill Young, executive director, Presbyterian Frontier
Fellowship |
