In the early days of my missionary foray into the neighboring countries, I was led by the Spirit of God to a place which was hostile to our faith. Just as I had a “Damascus” moment like St Paul, I had this “Cornelius” encounter like St Peter also.
A local missionary, who eventually acted as my translator, informed me that there was this patriarch who was very keen to know the meaning of the parable of the sower. I jumped at the chance and went to his home. His family was already seated down waiting for my arrival. Given the hostility towards the gospel in this place, the incident convinced me that God would draw these people who sought Him to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus, despite the definite persecution if their eventual new faith come to light in their community.
This was my first mission to share the gospel in this nation. Subsequently I went to a few villages to share the gospel with his friends. In one particular village, one religious leader warned me about “stirring the water and making it muddy”. I understood his warning. Later, he believed in Christ and because of his intellect, he was able to share the gospel effectively in these villages. And soon, there was 105 baptized members in the fellowship led by these patriarchs of their families. I took upon myself to teach these leaders regularly in the city near their villages. All thanks and praise to the Lord for this phase of training in my faith journey.