Written By Ian James
“After finishing elementary school I didn’t know how I would manage to go on to junior high, but I wanted to. Someone from my village introduced and brought me to Mr. Sani in Slippery Rock. Here, I could live and go to school free of tuition. I finished three years of junior high school, graduated, and continued on to high school. I feel happy that there is something that matters in my life.”
I am from South East Asia, from K-Island in the M-Mountains. I was born into a poor family. My house was in a jungle and the regular sounds I would hear would be the sound of birds. Traveling to school required a day’s journey by foot so as a child I did not go to school. My parents would often leave me at my uncle’s, grandparents’ or at the neighbors. I was insecure and shy; afraid of every stranger. When someone I did not know came to my house I would hide in a sack and hope that they would think I was a sack of rice.
After I turned seven, my parents moved so that I could go to school which was only an hour walk away. For six years I would walk f
rom 6 am to 7am in the morning to get to school. I would find something for breakfast along the way.
One night, I was left at home alone while all of my family went out. When it was time to go to sleep, I felt very alone. I thought about how sad it would be if I were ever left by my family forever. I started to cry and to pray, even though at that time I didn’t know God.
After finishing elementary school I didn’t know how I would manage to go on to junior high, but I wanted to. Someone from my village introduced and brought me to Mr. Sani in Slippery Rock. Here, I could live and go to school free of tuition. I finished three years of junior high school, graduated, and continued on to high school. I feel happy that there is something that matters in my life.
When I think about the goodness of God in my life and how deep His love is, I know I am not worthy to face Him, and that I could not, outside of the fact of His death on the wooden cross. I used to be extremely quiet, shy, and insecure, but now I can interact with people from the city, and even with foreigners, like Mr. Corwin and his family. I never would have imagined this, but I know it is all because of the Lord Jesus who is so good.
You need to know that out of my entire family, including my parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, only my brother and I know and believe in Christ. I wrestle in prayer that my family might receive Christ as their Savior before He comes the second time or before they die.
Please pray for my family that they will know the Lord Jesus. Thank you and God bless you.
Here are some words of encouragement I would like to share with you:
Pray about whatever you wish to do, and work at whatever you are already doing.
Do what you are thinking about, and think about what you are doing.
God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.
For privacy purposed names of people and places have been changed.
