Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Mission: Possible

An excerpt from...

Mission: Possible

By Susana Bev Donahue, Missionary, Paraguay
October-December 2014

Mission: Possible
Have you ever given a Bible to someone and then one day that person shows up at your home, Bible in hand, to return it to you?

Well, that is exactly what happened to me. After hearing the doorbell ring, I opened the door and found my former neighbor at the gate in a very angry state of mind with God. In her hand was the New Living Translation of the New Testament in Spanish that I had given her as a gift. She was returning it to me out of respect, because she did not want to tear it up in her outrage against God.

Well, you can imagine how I felt. It was the first time someone had returned a Bible to me in such a manner. I was discouraged. My neighbor was struggling with cancer, family problems, etc., and it seemed to me that if there was ever a time when someone needed God’s Word, it was now.

I continued to pray for her and decided to pay her a visit a little later. I rang the doorbell, not sure if I would be welcomed or not. My friend came to the door and, as always, seemed to be glad to see me. She welcomed me in and I sat down to listen. She was still struggling with God, feeling that if He was listening, why didn’t He do something.

I persisted in befriending my former neighbor. I was surprised when one day she had a special request. She asked if I had an old Spanish Bible that she could borrow. So a used Bible with the Old and New Testaments was delivered to her. The good news is that this Bible has stayed with her. It is a delight when I visit her and she pulls it out to share a passage with her daughter and me.

My husband, Mark, and I desire your prayers. Quite honestly, sometimes we can be tempted to look at circumstances, wondering if anything will ever change, instead of looking to our God who is able. At times we feel as if we are on a mission impossible or one that requires much faith like Abraham. Abraham, as the Bible explains, had faith to believe what God had promised even when it looked as though all hope was gone. We continue to be called to be faithful, sharing the Word and praying for God’s kingdom to come and reign in their hearts.

Make a difference on your knees.PRAY: This month, pray for the WGM missionary staff, like the Donahues, who are involved in one-on-one discipleship each week. May God grant wisdom, creativity, and encouragement as they pour into lives.

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