35 souls Baptized in Biak.

Pastor Larry Evan and Pastor Arie Dien preach each night in Biak

Biak is a place similar to heaven – where time is no more.   There’s never a rush.   The answer to most problems is “Don’t worry – No Problem!”   For the past two years the church in Biak has been plagued with offshoots – Don’t Worry!   When the disgruntled  infiltrate or pilfer the ranks our focus must be on Someone Greater – Jesus.   Last year evangelism efforts is what brought many people back from the wrong focus – last years meetings were sweet with very little conflict.  When it comes to Soul-winning, the Devil may let you off easy once but he certainly won’t let you off easy twice.

The odds were tremendous.   From the very beginning we met with resistance.   First, the visa’s were denied for our speakers --  Pastor Larry Evans and Dr Jim Anderson.   Then when we got that worked out there was some internal problems.   Next ,the Translators were prevented from leaving their posts.   On and on it went but all of this we know only proved how powerful our God is.  Despite insurmountable problems God found a way.   Visa’s were obtained with heroic efforts.    Advertising was fabulous.   Pastor Arie Dien did an amazing job translating.   Pastor Ferry translated the health talks and children’s stories in the children’s tent.

And the result was that God added to the church another 35 people.    And there are about 75 people that are still being worked with by our 6 Bible workers who are employed to follow up for another 2 months.  We expect the 35 souls to grow to a greater number soon.

On Sabbath is was a blessed experience to step into the oceans 84 degree water and baptize 35 people.   Some of their stories are tremendous stories of sacrifice.   There was the family who came 6 hours by boat and car to live with their relatives while they sold their salted fish in the Fish market.   They intended on returning home but they stayed for every night of the meetings.   Pray for them as they are ones still who are still being followed up.   Another man traveled 55 miles across the ocean in a small single engine boat just to be at our meetings.

There were tremendous signs of encouragement that the leader of the offshoot group was willing to apologize and return back to the one world wide body of Seventh-day Adventist believers.   But then he seemed to go back on his word.   Pray for him that he will have courage to return.

35 Newly Baptized hold their Bibles high.   They are thrilled to have the word of God.

In a future blog I’ll explain why we almost always have weddings after Baptisms.   Here is 1 of 2 weddings we had right after the evangelism meeting