Category: International Testimonies

Looking for Italian coffee

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Looking for Italian coffeeIt seems God can use just about any circumstances to bring people to him. Agnes* has a love for Italian coffee and in the small German city where she lives, she knows of an Italian gelato cafe that serves great coffee. One day, she stopped by to get a cup of her favourite brew and was dismayed to find that the cafe had just closed for the day. As she stood among the al fresco tables wondering what to do next, she noticed a couple sitting nearby at a table. She wasn’t sure why, but felt prompted to speak to them.

Exchanging pleasantries with them, Agnes learned that they were Elena and Salvatore, a couple who had just moved from Italy. When Agnes told them that she really loved the coffee from the cafe, Elena replied, “Well, of course; it’s Italian!” They had a good laugh and chatted a little more. Elena said that, being new in the city, they didn’t have any friends and that it was hard to get to know people.

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Sometimes it takes many believers

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Airport TerminalThe journey of a person from knowing nothing about the God of the Bible to being able to put one’s trust in him for salvation takes many forms. Sometimes, it’s a straightforward journey; other times, it takes many believers along the way, each providing another piece of the puzzle—explaining a little more about who Jesus Christ is and what he accomplished on the cross for all people.

During a long journey, Jian Hui met Nick and Lisa,* a missionary couple on their way to Southeast Asia. They had a wonderful chat and agreed to keep in touch via email. Nick and Lisa wrote about their lives and Jian Hui described hers.

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It’s maybe the best I’ve seen to share the gospel

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ProvenceSeveral years ago, while Allie* and her husband were on vacation, they had several opportunities to share the gospel. However, they had lacked a resource they could give to those they had met. So last year, in planning for a vacation in France to celebrate their wedding anniversary, Allie did some research and ordered GoodSeed resources for the trip. She was so excited with what happened that she wrote to tell us about her adventure. Here is Allie’s story:

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“The Stranger” as an Intro Bible course at a Chinese international school

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Students in classroomWe recently received an email from a school principal. He asked several questions about our tools but he also shared how his school has been using our resources.

He writes, “I have enjoyed reading and teaching The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. We use the book in an ‘Intro’ course for students at our international school in China! For several years now, we have been purchasing copies of The Stranger in three languages.”

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Hope coming over the airwaves

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Tea plantation in Sri LankaEarlier this year in June, we shared about our partnership with TWR in Sri Lanka. They had translated By This Name into Sinhala and were reading out the book in a weekly radio broadcast. They had a good response to the program as listeners called and wrote in to say how much they had learned about God.

Since then, TWR has continued to faithfully broadcast the program. The readers read out the Sinhala script and the program also plays appropriate worship songs. The power of radio is that it can reach into the lives of people living in remote areas who either have no access to books or who are unable to read. Just recently, TWR sent us more messages that they had received from people who called in.

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Good News in the midst of chaos

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Thai military and police with By This NameDuring the unrest in Thailand at the beginning of the year, the military and police were stationed in many locations around Bangkok and the country. They spent long hours on the streets, doing their best to restore order to a country in chaos.

Many ordinary citizens stayed indoors, trying to avoid getting caught up in the protests. But for one group of people who were diligent ambassadors for Christ, they saw an opportunity to share the gospel message. They loaded up with copies of the Thai edition of By This Name as well as with booklets containing an excerpt of By This Name and testimonies of those who had read it. These dauntless believers then ventured into the streets, handing out the materials to soldiers and police officers. Many accepted the offer and proceeded to read the books at their posts! Please pray with us that many will come to a clear understanding of the gospel and put their trust in Jesus for salvation.

Caring for Mexican seasonal farmworkers in Michigan

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Girls reading The Lamb

Every year, over 49,000 seasonal farmworkers and their families make their way north from Mexico to Michigan’s fertile fields and orchards for the summer and fall harvest. Michigan Migrant Ministries (MMM) shows the love of Jesus Christ to these guests who visit their state. They give gifts, conduct bible classes in Spanish and English, do summer school programs and day camps for the children, and have regular get-togethers for fellowship.

The approach of MMM is similar to how the Israelites welcomed and cared for sojourner families among them. They taught them about the Lord from Scripture:

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Christ becomes real to a Chinese atheist

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chinese-girl-profileThis is Lien’s testimony which was originally published in her church’s newsletter. We have edited it for brevity.

The Bible says that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:4-5 NKJV). My name is Lien,* and up until just a few years ago, this verse made no sense to me as a young Chinese atheist.

Growing up in China without God

I grew up in Beijing, one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world. I had seen people going into temples and giving money to idols, wishing for good fortune. I had grown tired of people saying, “Be good” so that we could come back in the next life with good fortune. I had also heard about western religions from movies and books. These left me with the general impression that only good people can go to Heaven. I considered religion to be nothing more than a man-created tool to manage society and to advocate for morality. At the time, I did not consider the more important question, namely, what is morality derived from?

I also thought that religious people were bribing their way into Heaven by giving money to the poor people, doing good works and, in some cases, not eating meat or getting married. This kind of thinking never made sense to me. None of my family members were religious and so I did not grow up believing that there was a God.

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Panama: Reconnecting and sharing the gospel

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Lavonne-Naso-kids
Lavonne reads El Cordero (The Lamb in Spanish) to a very attentive audience in Panama.

One of our GoodSeed staff couples, Simon and Lavonne, were missionaries in Panama for 17 years before returning to the USA where they now continue ministry at the GoodSeed office in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho.

Recently, after being gone from Panama for more than a year, they had an opportunity to go back for a visit to reconnect with many of their dear friends in a remote village as well as in the city. In preparation for their trip, they packed a “Be Ready” suitcase full of GoodSeed resources that explained the Bible’s message clearly. Among the books was a copy of All that the Prophets have Spoken in Arabic to be given to their friends who own the hotel where they often stayed. For the Chinese shopkeeper where they used to buy their groceries, they had The Stranger in Mandarin. Also included in their suitcase were several copies of El Forastero (The Stranger book in Spanish) and El Cordero (The Lamb book in Spanish).

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An adoption gone wrong

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plane

When Neville* and Dominique learned of a little boy with a foster family in Central America who was up for adoption, it seemed their prayers were finally being answered. Excited to meet their soon-to-be son, they boarded a flight from their home in Quebec. Little did they know that God had other plans.

When they arrived, they went through the process but for complex reasons, the adoption fell through and there was nothing left to do but go home. They made arrangements to fly home early, all the time wondering why God had not allowed their adoption to proceed.

Dominique tells the rest of her story:

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