World Renewal International
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Could you help us unload these Bibles?
Pastor Wes Davis, Riverton, KS. and World Renewal's Director of Education Development has returned from his travels to Hungary and Mexico City.
In Hungary he taught pastors on the subject of "How to teach and preach like Jesus." In Mexico, he preached 5 messages about the five points of emphasis of our new World Renewal Ministry Institute. Wes said he really enjoyed both cultures and the graciousness of those who hosted him. In Hungary his host was Pastor Pali (pictured) and his wife Ibi Katona. They are the leaders of the Evangelical Friends-Eastern Europe Church planting movement which has been one of the fastest growing movements in its history.
Pastor Pali grew up in Romania. However, it was an area of Romania that had once been part of Hungary and was divided after WWI. The people in these areas still spoke Hungarian and basically considered themselves Hungarian until the new freedoms came in 1989. Pali's family was part of the underground church under communism and worked with Richard Wormbrandt. His father died prematurely because of the affects his imprisonment for the Gospel.
(Pastor Pali, center, With Renewal's Mike Cruse, Mark Montfort, Doug Newnum, Steve Lindley, Gary Wright and Gary Jones in Szekesfehervar, Hungary at the first Evangelical Friends-Eastern Europe Yearly Meeting session.)He shared with me several stories from those days. His parent's home was used to smuggle Bibles, etc. that promoted the Christian faith. On one occasion they unexpectedly had someone knock on the door informing them they had a truckload of Bibles to unload. This of course was illegal under communist law. He said that the unfortunate circumstance was that the communist military was staging one of its parades right in front of their house in the street at that very moment! They were showing the tanks and weapons and such. Nevertheless, Pali's family and the smugglers began unloading the boxes of Bibles into the house. Soon the police came. Instead of arresting them, the unaware police helped them unload the truck of Bibles!
Is it any wonder that God is using these people today in the new freedoms that came in 1989? I always feel it a privilege to stand by their side and serve Christ. Men like Pali are the children of Christians who are hero's of the faith. When I was young I read Brother Andrew's books like God's Smuggler with such great interest and fascination. They would pray "Lord you have made blind eyes to see, now make seeing eyes blind." Therefore its is with great interest I listened to Pali's childhood stories of faith. I can only imagine them saying, "Could we have a little help unloading these Bibles?" Heaven's angels must of cracked up with laughter that day, I know I did as I heard the story. God is good.
Thanks for stopping by.
:: posted by Gary Wright, 10:04 PM
