The blessing of encouragement


This morning I went to a factory where coconut soap products are made. A factory employee walked into the office where I was buying the soap and I realized I knew him from somewhere. I told him I remembered his face, but couldn’t remember where I knew him from. I was a little embarrassed when he said I knew him from the national prison. Sure enough, he was in the first literacy class that I helped start at the prison. (He is the man in the red shirt in this photo taken several years ago.)

I asked him if he was continuing with his reading and he said he was. He asked about the Pijin Bible and I was able to tell him that the it would be available in July of 2008. I told him he should start saving his money now so he would be able to buy the Bible.

The woman selling me the soap jumped in at that point and said she was really looking forward to the Bible coming out and wanted to buy one. Then she looked at me and said in an excited voice, “You aren’t the ones that are producing that Bible program on the radio, are you???” After further questioning, I realized that the Christian radio station must be reading on the air, the Pijin newspaper page that I have been producing each week!

When I got home I called the station manager and sure enough she and the other announcers are reading the Bible page on the radio. The manager is encouraging the announcers to practice reading the Pijin so they can read it well and to read the Scripture reading and other items on the page on their shift on the radio. The manager was encouraged to hear that people are enjoying hearing the Bible page read. Yesterday I was blessed to hear that one of the national radio announcers is currently seeking funding for a radio spot designated to the reading the Pijin Bible page on
that station.

Today my heart is full of joy and gratitude. It’s so satisfying to know that the Bible page is going into the hands of thousands of people each Tuesday, but to know that even more people are hearing it read is just a thrill. It’s all extra ‘fruit’ that I never even anticipated. It was a real blessing to have that word of encouragement today!I trust that you are encouraged by it too.

Share