soft day

Two weeks ago was a “hard day”, and knowing how the Lord has been leading recently, i was expecting a “soft day” some time soon.  Well, actually, the “hard day”, was not in a spiritual sense – an apparent defeat for the spread of the 1858gc book, but just a physically hard day.  But the last few days, culminating with the wonderful victories yesterday in spreading this book, have more than made up for many “hard days” 🙂

After the first few days in Sabah, i’ve been living with a family, and going to their clinic every morning to use the internet.  There are three receptionists there, all Adventist, and one of them i met before, when first coming to Sabah in the fall of 2004.  She started talking to me, and in showing her what i’m doing, i held up a 1858 Great Controversy book.  She said she had one, and that every Sabbath afternoon this quarter at her church, the Adventist Youth group are doing a study and quiz on that book.  WOW!  I had met the man she said was leading out in this, and met him on Friday.  He was happy to see the study guide i’ve done for the book (all except 5 chapters), and put it on his computer, laughingly saying that it would save him a lot of time in preparing questions.  It thrilled me to think that i could be a small help to him in this.

This weekend, at Crocker National Park, the Pathfinders from all over the state of Sabah came to have their annual Camporee.  It’s only around 25 minutes from the house here, so we just drove up Friday evening, and then back down to the comfortable house, leaving the others in their tents, getting wetted on by the sudden thundershower.  There was a glitch in the electrical system (probably someone tripped over the cord -ha!) and we were without a amplifier or lights for around one hour.  The soft blue glow from many cell phones helped avoid tripping over each other tho.  The view from the top, looking down on the smallish city of Keningau is fantastic, with everyone smiling when i called it a “million dollar view”.

Sabbath morning we went up again.  The sky was clear and blue, and the sun was quickly drying up everything.  I talked with a few people i’ve met in my travels around this state, looking for somewhere inside to sit.  It looked like 800 – 1,000 people were assembled.  While standing around at the back, i noticed one, and then one more young person with a Malay copy of this 1858gc book.  That was exciting to see, but this was just the tip of the excitement that would happen this day.  For the Sabbath School lesson, and main worship, i sat with most of the English church members on a plastic sheet up near the front.  We were scrunched close together, and the little rocks started poking holes in my bones after awhile,
but the service was interesting, and my Japanese fan helped keep me cool.

For a little over half a year now, i’ve tried to be careful about not eating food cooked on the Sabbath, but seem to always be able to find some crackers or nuts or fresh somethings to avoid going totally without food.  When i have no food at all, my blood sugar level gets too low, and i get cranky, just like my mom used to do (now i know why there were arguments on long trips).  But eating even just a little, especially of fruit, keeps me going.  In the afternoon we go back to the main “area”.  It’s not a tent, as it is bamboo poles laced together with lots of blue tarps spread on top of them.  It is comfortable, and the singing is energetic.  It’s nice to see so many young people spending their time praising God.  And it is nicer yet, to see many of them holding and reading 1858gc books.  Hmmmmm.  What is this all about?  Something seems to be strange here, as, after the Bible, there are by far many more 1858gc books in sight than any other book.  Hmmmm.

After the singing, they start a quiz with a pastor presiding.  Huh?!  Are they having a quiz on the 1858gc book – the first 6 chapters!!!  Sure enough.  Each group of Pathfinders has a piece of paper, and is looking around for someone with a book to cheat from – haha!  I’m called to the English group, but am told i must be a Pathfinder to help out, so am disqualified – ha!  I stay nearby, and listen to the questions being translated for me by a Chinese-Malay man.  They are good questions, and some of them are pretty tough.  After about 4 or 5 questions, the prohibition on using books and asking outsiders seems to be off, so some of the kids run over to our direction after each question to get an answer.  This is amazing to me, and i take some video, lost in amazement, and thanking the Lord, and the pastors/lay people etc. who have seen the value of this book, and are trying to get the young people to read it.

This is a “soft day” enough, but still not THE soft day.  A huge downpour soaked everything royally on Sabbath afternoon, and it was a great relief to know that there was a house waiting for me where i could get a hot bowl of instant noodles, and a dry bed.  Nice dreamland……

The last day of the Pathfinder camporee was to be the “events” day.  Everyone does their marching and activities and vying to see who has the best Pathfinder club.  I needed to stay behind, and do some book work, so saw off the father and mother in the morning.  The day was mostly spent in compiling a new book on diet and foods, and went quite well.

The mother came back with her daughter around 5:30pm.  We had loaded up her car with around 50 Malay 1858gcs the nite before, and she took around 10 English ones, and a few other books she has printed also.  Her face is radiant as she starts to tell me how the Lord has blessed her in selling these books today.  Usually she finds people who are interested to sell/distribute to others, but this day, the Lord gave her a personal experience in how nice it is to be a worker spreading his words personally.  Many people called out her name, asking her to come up to their tent so they could buy a book.  She talked with many, and many wanted to buy before she even talked with them!  One lady helped her sell five books.  In the afternoon, one young man said he wished to sell for her, but had no experience.  She told him to pray about it, and then handed over a few copies.  He came back to her in just a few minutes beaming, reporting that he had already sold one book.

He lively expressions, and wonderful smile on her face as she was telling me was so precious, making me feel at one moment that all this travelling around and spending money and difficulties on the road, and even problems with some people regarding the value of this book, it all seemed to melt away before my eyes as i saw her face lit up, almost like with the glory of heaven, as she was praising God, and thanking him for this wonderful experience.

Thank you Lord Jesus for this “victory” time.  There are many struggles and trials we have to go thru, but days like today when everything goes so well, it is a joy to the bones.  It makes us know that you are in the work, and that you will take care of and preserve and spread your words.  Thank you for using us, and may we ever be humble servants of you, and may your angels and Holy Spirit go with the books now, so that the people called by your name “Seventh-day Adventists”, can prepare themselves and others for the events leading up to your return.  Please come back quckly to take us home, Amen.

NOTE: Story is about one day in Malaysia, May 28, 2007