Most Countries are not named.
We left the “creative” spelling and punctuation in these reports.
We wanted you to sense the zeal of these English second-language speakers, so you are seeing the letters as they came to us.
The names are maybe changed or only initials were passed on to you.
Chain Reaction
The stories of God’s Story in several languages of this country started a chain reaction.
In this photo, in the lower right corner, a TGSP leader is being shown a visible chain reaction. During a lunch break at an STS workshop, the pastor who invited us to lead the workshop called us over. “Let me show you something.”
He lined up the people in this photo and told this story. (Names will not be mentioned here.)
The first man on the left in the orange shirt and his wife came to faith in Jesus. Then one month later his wife died in childbirth.
Parents on both sides blamed her death on the couple having become followers of Jesus. After awhile the accusations started to wear him down. He did not know much about the Bible and was starting to waver in his faith. Just then God’s Story was completed in his mother tongue.
The pastor showed the God's Story video to the young widower. The man watched it again and again and again. He finally stated, “After I saw and heard the stories over and over, I knew what I believed was true.”
A few months later this now confident believer showed God's Story to the second man in the line next to him, in the white shirt, who then accepted Jesus.
This second man showed the video to man of his left, the third man wearing the cream shirt. This third young man soon paid a price for his faith. He began to use God’s Story and many came to Jesus. When a militant band tried to force him into joining them, threatening his life, he told them “You can kill me, but I won’t leave Jesus.” They beat him and left.
Soon this young man showed God's Story to the lady in the pink sari and she accepted the Lord. A few months later her husband became a believer too. After that, this couple gave part of their property to that third young man who was learning more about God’s Word and had become a pastor.
This photo shows this pastor's young congregation, all less than a year old in the Lord. By the way, the young man in the photo is 19 years old!
So the lady in pink took the God’s Story video and showed it to others and the fourth man standing next to her in the white was saved.
He showed the video to the lady on his left, the one in the orange Sari, and she came to Jesus.
She showed God’s Story to the man at the far right of the photo, the man in the blue shirt, and he became a believer.
The pastor describing this lineup of seven explained, “Now all of these are pastors.”
So young to lead, but they have been saved longer than those around them. They are the elders!
All this occurred in TWO years time! Yes, the stories of the Bible do speak to the hearts of those who listen.
Japan
Everyone gasped when a conservative elder pastor said, "I told Martha /Mary story at a conference and 4 got saved!" That is mass evangelism in Japan!
Later that same pastor wrote us in Japanese and this is the translation of his letter!
Yaeko,
Thank you for your e-mail.
I appreciate so much that you had the first STS seminar ever in Japan at our church. It was very nice that I had joyful conversation with you two, Andrea and Yaeko.
This week Pastor Ueda of this church used STS way of delivering message at the service.
I am always using STS way.
Even though it's still a little hard to do at the services, but every time when I give message from Bible, I don't look at the Bible. I ask some questions also when I do, and the people are starting to respond better. My way of delivering message and preparing for the message has been changing.
There usually is a small hesitation about changing at this age, but I don't want to stick to old ways, so I am enjoying this way very much now.
Yaeko, if you have time, please give my message to Dorothy or Andrea, that I'd like to have their wisdom on how to deliver message by STS way for very big group of attendees at the services.
People are hoping that you will have another seminar like this one again in Japan.
Thank you very much. Best regards to Andrea.
Eiichi Hamasaki
From Our TGSP Director in the Buddhist World
"I eat stories, sleep stories, drink stories and tell stories, not me only it is like a communicable disease,
"Yesterday I saw my wife doing the stories among the women group in our church. The story she picked up was from the prodigal son. I learnt something, As some one learns the story and they want to retell to you, just listen to them. This way they want to own the story.
"Last night she came and talked to me that she wants to tell the story to me, I said "I am tired." I saw sadness on her face and I asked for forgiveness and I listened her story then I see the excitements of knowing the treasures of the story in her face, the brightness was on her face. She did so well crafted the questions and led me to the truth.
"My wife feels much shy, if she can well tell the stories if we attempt to listen her, every one can tell stories, Blessed be the GOD!!!!"
Reluctant Attendee
We encouraged a Western mission leader to send some of his leaders to an STS workshop. He tried for some time to arrange for his leaders in Nepal to attend one of the workshops. Finally, and reluctantly, his leader agreed to send some of his leaders to a training. Soon afterwards, the Westerner sent this report that had come from his leader:
“The two guys I sent to Katmandu for STS seminar came back yesterday. I met one when I was returning from a day of work with a family in Assam. He had waited for me for three hours and was hurrying to catch his last bus home.
He hurriedly mentioned that he would come again. He was smiling from ear to
ear and told me that it was 'fantastic'.
“This morning I am going to hear from the other person who is studying here. Thanks again for making this possible. Without your prompting, I would never
had the thought of sending these people for training. Perhaps, we should think
of such a seminar in D? Let me know what you think about that?”
Western Region, From Our TGSP Nepal Director
"Today morning we went to B village where one of our churches is there and this village affected badly with last flood. We collected offerings and could give some rice for their food to live as an urgent relief. Thank God we could do some things to them. They are not believers yet but few are saved last couple of months ago.
"One of our pastors, G is working them so effectively and blessed way. He was there in the Simply the Story seminar, and in the hotel Bible study with you that night also.
"He is been blessed with the seminar he said today when we met.
"And he is using this method in his Bible study group, message in the church, teaching all his leaders who take house church, youth ministry, women's ministry. He seems so excited and thankful to STS training. I'm helping him how to make questions effective way so can be lead to the truth of the lesson of that story."
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