Lane wrote, “After completing the lesson, I simply asked the Siars if they had any questions or comments and then I sat down,”
Jon, Lane’s translation helper, stood up. He was emotional, which is unusual for him – or any Siar, for that matter.
Jon
shared how the story of the creation account revealed the true God who is
perfect, all-powerful, and the creator of all things. God’s Word showed him
that no matter what he thought about himself, the truth of the matter was that
he was a sinner separated from God and the punishment for his sins was ready
for him to bear.
Jon
knew that the death on the cross was meant for him and he deserved it but
Christ took his place and suffered his punishment for his sin. He said he
firmly believed it, and was confident that God bought him back and that he was
now in God’s clan forever.
Then
Jon challenged his people by saying, “You guys, this is the truth — the only
truth. And this is the time for us to decide whether we will believe this or
not. You all need to decide what you will do with this Gospel; this was for you
and you must decide!”
Next
Tomulai stood and said he been awake all night after hearing about the
suffering that Jesus experienced for him. Then Ogen stood and said simply that
the death of Christ was indeed the only way to eternal life.
After
that Sali had a message for Lane and his teammates. He thanked the missionaries
for leaving their homes and coming to give them the truth. Lane wrote, “He was
thankful for that and thankful for the truth of Christ’s death that he now
understood and believed in.”
Two
women, Sakman and Redi, sat together saying, “This is it. This is the only
truth and only Jesus’ work for me is the truth that can save me. We are
believing this truth and we will never leave it for anything else!”
Tinamidil,
a quiet lady, said, “This is the only truth, that is for sure, and I believe
it.”
Stiven
said he believed that Jesus’ work was complete and the only way to eternal
life.
Lane
wrote, “The truth of the Gospel has shown its bright light into the Siars’
minds and hearts, and many have responded in faith.”
Now,
after years of work to get to this point, the hard work starts, the work that
continues to lead toward establishing a mature church among the Siars.
“The
ultimate desire of God for the Siars is a mature and thriving church comprised
of Siar men and women who are grounded, growing and dependent on the Word of
God alone. What that means is that we are not standing at the end of this work
with the Siars, but we are at the very beginning,” Lane wrote.
What
a joy it is to see God’s Word bearing fruit as the message is being proclaimed
to those who have not yet heard.
Bob
