Items For Prayer And Praise

By Lois J. Stucky

    You who send your gifts to support Herald of His Coming will rejoice to know something of what is being done through them. Many letters have come into the office from Africa these past weeks. One brief letter from Ethiopia says,

    "When I read Herald of His Coming which you send for my friend, I'm blessed with its messages. I think it is sent free on request. Please, would you like to send me such a blessing magazine?" We believe you would respond as joyfully as we do to humble, sincere appeals such as this.

    Another letter is written on flimsy tablet paper and is enclosed in a homemade envelope. The writer says he is grateful to receive Herald of His Coming. It "makes me grow up in Christianity," he says. "Although I do not have anything in physical form to send you, I send you the Lord's hope so that you keep up in doing this job of sending messages to different parts of the world. Please keep on sending the Herald of His Coming. I am so happy about it!"

    Another request is from a pastor serving the Lord in the interior of his country. When he left the city to serve God there, he left behind the friends from whom he read Herald of His Coming, so he asks now to receive directly.

    Another letter is from a church leader – deacon, leader of house cell, evangelist in rural areas – and he feels the need for literature to upbuild him in his personal walk with the Lord. Such materials are very scarce and expensive in his country. He came across Herald of His Coming and found soul enrichment in it and would like to receive regularly. Through your gifts we can send the Herald without charge to him, and who knows how many will benefit from his enriched life?

    From Indonesia there is a letter from a young person who has translated an article into his native language for their church paper. From the Philippines is a request for a quantity mailing of Herald of His Coming for Bible school students and pioneering pastors in their country. From a hotel manager in Papua New Guinea is a request for a quantity of Herald papers each month to put in the rooms of a Park Hotel. "Where Royals Stay" says the hotel stationery.

    Several cherished opportunities have come this month to minister to refugees. We're sure your heart goes out to them as does ours. One Christian family has taken refuge in a country which is one of the least evangelized in the world. The Herald paper they receive is carefully shared with a handful of others who need spiritual nourishment in this land hostile to Christianity. Another writes to tell of his Christian brother "encamped" as a refugee in a non-Christian land. He is able to lead some other refugees to Christ, but they have not even a Bible to help them on in the Christian life.  "Please reach them with the Herald as soon as possible," the writer requests.

    Another refugee writes to thank us for not forgetting to send him Herald of His Coming. It helps him "in lending my back for the difficulties of the exile life," he writes. He is praying and reading Scripture daily now and is being joined by some of his friends. "Herald of His Coming is doing excellent for those who had lost their consciousness of this world life," he says. '"We come to this world carrying no thing and will leave carrying no thing' Job said." He asks our prayers.

    There are many other letters we would like to share with you here but space does not permit. From these few examples might your heart feel the thrill of sending God's Eternal Word to far-scattered places, to hearts open and eager for more of God. It must be a touch of the joy Heaven feels when a soul repents.