After working for 40 years in the corporate world, retired Pat decided he wanted to spend more time doing what he loved most – missions. He had been working with short term mission teams in Jamaica for about 25 years prior, but now Pat felt the Lord calling Him to Africa.
Pat’s focus in missions was helping people with their physical needs in hopes that they would be able to see how great our God is. Pat learned in Burundi, Africa that he did not only need to be providing for physical needs but spiritual needs as well.
He learned that many in this region who called themselves believers did not know the basics of the Bible. They did not know they were called to forgive as Jesus did or love as He loved. Pat saw the need for discipleship. He, therefore, began to start small groups to share the Word of God with these communities – to transform their hearts through the Gospel.
Pat found out about Renew World Outreach through a missions pastor and learned about the products they carry to share the Word of God. He knew that with this equipment, the need for discipleship in these communities would be met by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pat took 10 of Renew’s lockable micro SD-cards and 10 solar-powered Light Audio Bibles into the communities. Micro SD-cards are small memory chips containing Gospel media content that can be easily and discreetly distributed to almost any phone user to read and listen to the bible. There is no electricity, so the solar-powered Light Audio Bibles provided light in their homes, as well as a source to charge their cell phones while they engage in the word of God. Each of these products were provided to one of the small group leaders within the community. The equipment was so helpful that they wanted more!
Pat’s team began to receive so many requests from pastors in other countries that 250 additional micro-SD cards were given out in four different languages.
Pat shares, “The micro-SD card is small and can be sent where other methods might not be allowed. Because of this, some work we do is with communities of ‘the main religion of Saudi Arabia’ and they have converted to the Christian Faith. Our pastors can’t always carry a Bible, but they can carry their phone with the micro-SD card.”
Pat saw the power of the Gospel transform the hearts of a community in Burundi, Africa. The Truth of the Gospel is life and peace. People are hungry for something as eternal as Jesus, said in the Gospel of John:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13
Please continue to pray for missionaries like Pat that are boldly sharing the Gospel. Pray that lives will be transformed through the power of discipleship and that the Lord’s eternal life will continue to overflow!