Missionary Andrew Wilson has been preparing these lessons
with the help of a Wahgi man named Gabriel Mara. Gabriel came to check the
lesson teaching Jesus’ crucifixion and death. As they were going through the
lesson, Andrew came to the point about Jesus dying on the cross and taking our
place and buying us back by shedding his blood. While checking this part with
his helper Gabriel said: “Now I understand. I’m born in sin and God sent his
son to die to take away sin. All the good things I have tried to do, even
helping you with translation, I did it thinking that I could make God happy and
go to heaven. Now I know this is wrong thinking. I can only go to heaven by
believing that Jesus died and took my place and took away my sin.” Gabriel then
turned to another Wahgi man and said, “You see. We try to do all these nice
things, go to church, stop drinking and smoking and stop doing bad things but
that cannot take away our sin. The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament only
covered the sin, they did not take it away. But Jesus died and he took the sin
away.”
Gabriel was the first to accept Christ as his Savior among
the Wahgi people. After the lesson on Jesus death, burial and resurrection was
presented several other Wahgi people place their faith in Jesus for salvation.
What a joy it is to be involved in training future
missionaries to take the message of the cross to those who have not had an
opportunity to hear God’s Word. It always thrills my heart to hear such stories
from the mission field.
Bob
