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Testimony |
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(Faith & Victory : Nov. 1964) |
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Pacoima, Calif., (Oct. 13)-Dear Bro. Lawrence and all the saints: I
send you greetings today in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Saviour, who loved us and gave Himself for us that He might redeem
us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people
zealous of good works.
I can truly say that God's grace has been sufficient for myself, and
my wife also during her ilIness, in answer to the earnest, fervent
prayers of the saints in our behalf. I kept singing over and over to
myself mostly the song, "He will not fail me now" and He did not.
Without question, the days of my wife's illness and the days which
followed her death were the most trying days of my life up to now.
But through it all I was sustained and strengthened by an unseen
hand and by the comfort of the divine Spirit in my heart. You were
all praying much for that and your prayers were abundantly answered.
The thing that many of you have expressed deep concern about in
respect to my circumstances, God lifted me up above in a great
measure and just never let me feel that much. That was in regard to
my being so alone and so far from home and the saints and my family,
etc. Naturally, that realization would sweep over me at times and my
heart would sink but I would just look to the Lord and say to
myself, "I must not think of that. I can't. I have a job to do and
must get it done and can’t put in time thinking about those things."
And the Lord would just lift me up above that and only let me feel
that a few times and then just momentarily. I learned in those
trying days to appreciate more than ever the sustaining grace and
strength of God and the prayers of the saints in my behalf. May God
bless every one of you who bore this burden and held us up in your
prayers during this time.
I can say that Opal was a courageous soul right down to the last and
testified just a short while before her passing that as far as she
knew she was ready to go and was willing to go if that was what God
wanted.
Her whole heart was in her work. She dearly loved her work there and
loved the people and they loved her. The Lord just kept both of us
real satisfied and contented there and there was not a day that
dragged on our hands any time. We were real happy in the service of
the Master in that place. Opal has always been anxious to get back
home any time we went away for a while but this time she never said
one word about coming home from the time we left and was earnestly
hoping we could get an extension on our visa to stay longer.
Therefore we feel God's approval was upon the venture and can truly
say that there is a big, big work to be done in that country. There
are some precious souls there who are eagerly reaching out in their
hearts for the light and truth of the gospel. We found some honest,
open hearts who were willing to accept truth on any Iine of truth we
saw fit to bring. Let us all pray much for them as they are much
grieved and shaken up at Opal’s passing.
In fact, their hopes were just about dashed out and they just about
despaired of anyone else ever coming to help them since David Madden
had been there and died about as soon as he came home from there and
then we came and Opal died right there on the field. The women whom
she had been teaching to sew brought the pieces of cloth she had
given them to use in teaching them to make simple stitches and hems,
etc. and showed them and said: "Is this all we get? Is everything
going to stop here now?" The ministers and workers whom we had been
teaching lessons in the Bible doctrines said they did not want to
stop what they had started and asked if I would continue to prepare
lessons for them in writing and send them to Bro. Ekpo who could
translate them and they would continue to come together at appointed
times to hear the lessons. I promised them I would just take that on
as a part of my regular work. So let us pray for them that their
hearts may be much enlightened and blessed as they continue to come
together from time to time to study these lessons on Bible
doctrines.
I asked Opal repeatedly during the days of her illness if she was
glad she came and she always affirmed that she was. I asked her one
time after she had been ill several days if she was glad she was
there and she answered emphatically without hesitation, "Why yes;
aren't you?" She continued to affirm that right down to the last and
she was happy there.
Well, in summing up, I can only say: "Thanks to God and to all of
you for everything and let us all dig a little deeper and consecrate
a little more and sacrifice a little greater for Jesus' sake and for
the work of God."
Your brother and fellow servant, -Ostis B. Wilson |
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