Downcast to Delivered!
Several years ago a teammate and I met a young man from Asia who was studying for his PhD at our local university. Wrestling with darkness in the form of depression and even suicidal thoughts was his life, but it was extremely evident that the Lord had strategically placed several Christians in his life to love him and witness to him. Over the course of his few years in our city, we had many great conversations and bonding experiences together. When he graduated and moved away, we connected him with like-minded friends in another state where he moved to teach as a professor. Those friends continued to love, serve, and encourage him. Recently during his time there, he decided to follow Jesus and began seeking baptism. We were able to spend several days with him recently at a multi-day event. Praise God – the transformation of his darkness into light, from stressed out to more peaceful, was obvious just by looking at his face and talking with him! Please join us in praying for him now as he’s going through a difficult health situation and wrestling with discouragement. Please pray with us for his physical healing, but even more importantly, for perseverence in his faith, which is of "greater worth than gold" (1 Peter 1:7). Ask also that Jesus would show Himself an ‘ever-present’ and ‘very present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1).
NOTE: To protect the identities of our international friends from areas with persecution, you may notice that often our photos don't match the stories. This is purposeful...