SHOUT FOR JOY

This account comes from my husband Rick Mitchell. We enjoy it over and over, as Christians everywhere will understand it’s significance.

After a few weeks of language study in the Philippines, my assignment was to learn the plan of salvation in Cebuano (the local dialect) and practice presenting it with several people.  Read More  Because of the unrest and insurgency during that time, Lito, a night security officer, was assigned to the subdivision where we lived.  Lito and I became friends, so I decided to try my testimony on him.  I struggled through it and probably murdered the pronunciation, but God spoke to Lito in spite of my feeble efforts.  Before I could finish, Lito said, “I want that.”  My language skill was not adequate to help him pray, so I quickly called for help from a nearby Christian friend.  Lito immediately prayed to receive Christ as his Savior.  He was so happy he ran out and told everyone he could find.  I gave him a Bible so he could read more in his own language.  The next day he brought it back and, in tears, threw it down and said, “They killed Jesus! He was such a good man. Why did He have to die?”  I told him to read the next chapter to find out more.

Ten minutes later Lito came back shouting, “He’s alive, He’s alive!” He stopped, looked at me, and said, “You knew this all along, didn’t you, Bro. Rick?” Oh, the joy when he discovered that Jesus arose from the dead. During the following couple of weeks, Lito sat under our bedroom window near the street light and read the Bible all night at the top of his lungs so everyone could hear the Good News!  We didn’t get much sleep for a while, but we rejoiced in his joy and exuberance.

Shortly after Lito was saved he went to his childhood home on a distant island. He told his mother about his Salvation.  His mother said, “Son, I have been praying for your Salvation for ten years!” During Lito’s brief stay on the island, he told others how to find Jesus.  He planted a church with 20 new Christians and one Bible. From time to time, Lito would return to be sure they stayed on the right track.