The Face of Missions

The man, on the left, in this photo represents millions across the world. I first met him just a few weeks ago, on Sunday, February 22, 2009. I had just finished preaching two services in the village of Kabanut. Kabanut village was the only village on the island with an organized Baptist church, until 2007. It then was also the only one with an ordained national pastor, Pastor Wilson. The village sits on the west coast of our island, and the church has about 35 members. The village itself, I estimate, has around 400 in population. Pastor Wilson asked to me come and preach for them on February 22. We had a very good meeting with many visitors from the village. I did not count how many people were there, but it must have been close to 100, so 20% to 25% of the village. After the services, I was going around talking to different people. I noticed this man sitting off to the side and I went over and began talking with him. I am not sure if he even attended the service. I know his wife did, as he told me she did. During the course of our conversation, I asked him, “Wanem samting i pasim yu long putim bilip bilong yu long Jisas Kraist?” I basically asked him, what is hindering you from putting your faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour? He told, “mi no gat wanpela man i bin soim mi dispel rot . Mi no save wanem samting mi gat nid long mekim. “ He told me, No one has ever showed me what I need to do. I do not know what to do. This was a man who had never heard the gospel before. Yes, he had heard the name Jesus Christ, but he had never been shown God’s plan for man’s redemption from the Bible.

I then went into the gospel with this man. As I talked with him, he seemed to believe God could not help him. He believed his sin was too great. You see, this man killed his little sister. His sister at the time was around three years old. He said he was drunk, (Isn’t alcohol wonderful!) and he threw a bottle of beer. The bottle hit his sister’s head and she died from her injury. He spent four years and six months in a New Guinea prison for manslaughter. I explained to him how the death of Christ did, in fact, reach all of his sins. We talked for a while and when I was finished, he told me he now wanted to put his faith in Christ. He bowed his head, called on the Lord, and put his faith in Christ! The man looked up with a great smile. This was the first time during our conversation I had seen him smile!

Here was a man who was about 35 years old, and never heard the gospel. This was a man who, because of the magnitude of his sin, did not think God could even help him. There are millions just like him across this world, waiting for some one to come and tell them the truth of God’s redemption for mankind. It is true in New Guinea, in America, in China, in Korea, India, in Germany, in Poland, in Mexico, in France, etc…. This is the reason for missions!