by B, who, with her husband, JS, and their team, minister to an unreached people group in a remote mountainous region in north and central Asia
Each time we travel deep into the mountains we don’t know if we will return. Sometime we get scared. But we are thankful that our God goes before us and protects us.
In the early years (we arrived here in 2004), I would clean and organize our apartment really well before we left for a trip—just in case if we didn’t come back.
I thought, Whoever comes to collect our things will have an easier time. I did this for several years; sometimes I still do it, since the uncertainty of our return is a fact of our work.
. . . To Die Is Gain
Last year while we were in the mountains a man, N, to whom we had been witnessing since the beginning of 2015, said to us, “I will accept Jesus Christ but only if you are willing to go to my home higher up the mountain. Because once I become a Christian, I will need you to take down the shrine in my house.” We gladly agreed.
Some people strongly warned us not to go higher up in the mountains. It rains there often, which makes driving dangerous. We considered their concerns but decided to go anyway. N’s spiritual life was too precious. We also believe that for us, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Ten minutes after our arrival at N’s home, it began to rain. My husband, JS, led him in a prayer to receive Christ. We burned his shrine and then got into our vehicle to drive down the mountain. By now the rain had stopped. We needed to leave before it resumed, which would make the roads impassable.
Jesus Gave It All
Our vehicle started to slide on two steep sections of dirt roads, where it was so muddy and slippery. The back of the vehicle started sliding sideways. If it had continued, we would have fallen off of the mountain. We were so frightened that we shook.
Thank the Lord we made it down safely. For a moment I thought, still shaking and with tears streaming down my face, Wow, we risk so much!
But quickly I was reminded, We risk a lot, but Jesus gave it all—His life—for us. Immediately, I smiled and praised the Lord.
We are so glad we took that risk! N was baptized in the spring.
Learn More
Read about the spiritual warfare (see Ephesians 6:12) B and JS encountered while translating the Bible into a mountain community’s language.