All Things New

It is amazing to see the movement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of new believers. My friend “K” has recently come to know Christ and has given me permission to share with you his amazing story. “K” never knew his father and his mother died when he was young. Growing up, he would live on the streets and fight for small jobs to eat. He confessed to me that he often slept in the local cinemas at night because he had no home to go to. He also became the caregiver for his small sister at a very young age. “K” has fought his whole life to survive and to provide for his sister.

As he grew, he became involved with the things of the world and began living a life of sin driven by his own feelings and the negative influences of the world. He began driving a motorcycle taxi and joined a group of peers that encouraged bad behavior. These were the things that “K” knew and all that he knew. He confessed that he had never known “Papa love” – the love of a father.

Over the past year, I have had a chance to get to know “K”, build a friendship, and to begin sharing the hope of Christ with him. One evening, I asked “K” if he felt that he was loved. He pondered and looked at me with tear-filled eyes and said, “No, I do not feel anyone loves me except my sister.” He began weeping and I was able to share with him the unexplainable, never-ending and all-surpassing love of Jesus. His weeping turned into a desperate confession and reception of Christ into his life.

“K” now has forsaken all for the sake of Christ. He now testifies of a new hope and purpose in life. “K” cannot read or write but has told me he longs to read the Word of God for himself. I have begun teaching him to read, and amazingly enough, God is somehow causing this process to move very quickly. As I write this, he is reading to me the book of Romans verse by verse. His determination is inspiring. “K” is now sharing his faith with his sister and friends. Some have forsaken him and have come against him, but “K” remains grounded in the new “Papa love” that he has found.

This week “K” brought a friend with him to our weekly Bible Study. He has begun sharing the Gospel with his motorcycle taxi friends. He even came to me yesterday asking if he could go serve the orphans in the community by giving them haircuts. He said, “I don’t have many skills. I know how to cut hair and do carpentry work, but I want to use those skills to do God’s work. I want to go cut the hair of the small boys and encourage them and teach them God’s word.” I celebrate with him as he is learning to serve God with the small that he has. I trust God that the increase will come.

Please pray for “K” as he comes against road block in his faith. Pray that God will continue to sustain the fire that has begun in him. Pray that God will supernaturally touch his mind so that he can read the Bible quickly. Pray for my other two friends, “A” and “S” who are also growing in their faith. All have expressed the desire to be baptized. I am humbled and can only say one thing…to God be the glory for ALL the HE has done. I love you all!