Latest News Archives

Word from the Mission Field

“Almost…”

What a powerful word. It can bring joy and gladness, and thankfulness…

“I almost had a wreck, but God saved my life.”

Or, it can bring sadness…

“I almost got that house I wanted.” “I almost obeyed the Lord.” “I almost told that man about Jesus.”

In Acts 26:28, I think is one of the saddest scriptures in the Bible. Here is Apostle Paul, sent by God, to appear before King Agrippa. Now, King Agrippa is giving Apostle Paul the opportunity to give his testimony… And Apostle Paul tells how God saved him, about his conversion on the road to Damascus, and how the Lord gave him a vision and how he accepted Jesus. Then King Agrippa said unto Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

The almost same exact thing happened to me when I met a witch-doctor years ago. Each time we had to go by this witch doctor’s hut (en route to our Church/School in Demesseau, Haiti), this witch doctor would see us coming and stand in the middle of the road. When we asked him what he needed, he would say, “I have a headache.” I would give him medicine for his headache, etc. this went on a couple of times…

His hut was scary. It had all kinds of Voodoo things in his year… a skull on a stick, a bowl of blood, a doll’s head, weird things.

One day, when we were going, he stopped our truck in the middle of the road. He wanted us to come to his “hut.” Bobby said, “You go, baby. You speak better Creole than I do!” (Thank you, Bobby!)

Being the “obedient wife,” I walked down into his Voodoo hut… just him and “me”! The room was so small, small enough for only about two people. On the wall were pictures of Mary, Joseph, Jesus. And on the table, was a small, white Voodoo Bible!

After telling him about Jesus, how He died for this man, and how the Lord wanted to save him. He said, “I am almost persuaded. I will become a Christian when your husband preaches at your church.” I said, “No if you do not become a Christian now, you will lose your chance.” Nevertheless, he would not. He was “almost persuaded.”

About two weeks later, we had to go back. When we passed by his hut, there was no one around. It was empty. The neighbors came out to see me, and said, “Mr. Bernice Dermicien, the witch doctor, he died last week.” I was so sad…

“Almost,” is a powerful word. If the Lord is speaking to you to do something, no matter what, do not be “almost persuaded” to do it… Just do it! You may have only one chance to obey, and “obedience is better than sacrifice.”

Have a great day,
Sherry

Posted in Latest News