“We are facing more obstacles than we ever have before, but this is no surprise. This believer represents the very first person who wants to be baptized in this place. Satan’s not just going to give that up easily,” [John]Costa said.
For [Aaron] Juergens, that’s no reason to quit, but encouragement to persevere, even in sickness and freezing temperatures atop a mountain.
“I’m up there, wearing six jackets and three gloves and five socks and I really just kind of want to sit in a bed,” he said. “But then you think about those people (who haven’t heard yet). If we turn around, who is going to come next? I mean, how many people have turned around? The world is getting smaller. The day is coming when everybody is going to have no excuse whatsoever for not hearing. There’s no excuse for turning back.
“We keep going.”
AWESOME article.
I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to read this kind of piece. I’ve been really frustrated in recent years to see a lot of mssn agencies and churches question sending teams into areas that are “too hard” “too high risk.” Saw it first hand here in W. Africa after a number of orgs & churches pulled out teams and workers when the al Qaeda threat increased dramatically. Not that those of who work overseas seek suffering or disregard the risks or treat them lightly. But we are called to be willing to count the cost for following Christ and making Him known, and at times it does come at great personal cost and sacrifice.
This team is a great illustration of the same kind of zeal for the Lord that Paul had when he wrote of the love of Christ compeling him to preach…
[blockquote]”We had to pull off a rescue,” Costa said. “We take great care not to let that happen. We push to the edge, but it’s a calculated risk. [b]We are compelled to reach these people, so we want to put significant effort into it.”[/b][/blockquote]
The other reason I was *REALLY* glad to read this is the honesty about the slow progress.
[blockquote]Progress is slow.
Costa has been working among the people of the Himalayas for more than 10 years and has seen three people accept Jesus Christ.[/blockquote]
3 believers in 10 years. That’s tough. We’ve seen a bit more fruit here where I live, but not all of our “fruit” is maturing. Quite a few have fallen away or have proved to be corrupt – seeking some kind of financial gain.
But it’s refreshing to see such honesty and not only the publication of exciting or sensationalist stories of mass revivals. Sometimes I or others I know have felt pressured to report “success” when in fact we are not seeing much outward fruit at all.
Praise God, revivals and mass turnings to Christ DO happen in some places. But in other places fruitfulness requires many years or decades of breaking up the ground and faithful, repeated sowing…
Thanks be to God He does give the increase and He IS calling forth people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation!
For those of you who know and support overseas workers, please press on in prayer for them and persevere. Don’t give up if the fruit is not rapid. Continue to encourage your friends and stand with them and continue to pray in faith for the harvest that WILL come!
Thank you, Karen – prayers for your work today.