“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12).
I recently received an incredible and encouraging story from Pastor J. in Karakalpakstan (within Uzbekistan). It is not only a story of spiritual death to spiritual life, but also one of gratitude for God’s provision of relief for urgent physical needs.
“My name is G. I’m 48 years old. I’m married and have three kids. God found me and saved me in the year 2002. At that time I was sick with bone tuberculosis. Doctors said I had no hope, because two of my vertebrae had decayed. So the doctors sent me home to die. I was in bed awaiting my death. My relatives were getting ready for my death too. At that time my brother’s friend visited our home. He was a Christian and he told me about Jesus. And it gave me hope. I accepted Jesus as my Savior with all my heart. And he did a miracle for me. He healed me! After a month, an x-ray showed that both of my vertebrae had been healed. Jesus Christ gave me completely new vertebrae.
“After that my husband came to Christ too. I’ve devoted my whole life to Jesus, my Savior, who gave me a new life.
“We started sharing the gospel with our acquaintances and a small church got planted in our town. Now we are leading this church together with my husband. God continues to do his miracles in our lives and we give him all the glory.
“In our town, we have huge problems with clean water. A lot of people get sick as the result of using polluted water. Usually people go to the market to buy clean water. If God allows us to have a water filter installed in our house, it would be a huge blessing for us and for our community. We would be able to build relations with our neighbors and help the needy families in our community. This small business would help us support our family financially as well.
“Thank you very much for your care and your prayers for us! May God bless you! -Sister G.”
What a wonderful testimony! Pastor J. is now working on coordinating the securing, delivering, and installing of the water filtration system. The RPM office, which is supported by many who read this blog, was able to transfer funds to pay for the system.
Stories like these remind me of the individual reality of the work I am doing, and serve as a beautiful connection to our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world. May God bless you in this season of reflection, bringing joy to you and providing all your needs, as He has done for me and many in Eastern Europe.
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