One small invitation could be the open door for a heart to receive the Gospel. Sometimes in our busyness or out of fear, we neglect to think of those around us who desperately need to hear the Gospel message. We neglect to invite opportunity. But, in the story below shared in a ministry report from an SGA-supported pastor, one little boy invited his friends from school to come to an SGA-supported Immanuel’s Child celebration and it impacted this friend’s entire family! 

With the Christmas season right around the corner, please pray for all of those who are planning for the celebrations. Pray that the Gospel will be spoken with clarity. But also pray for people, both young and old to invite their family and friends who don’t know the saving faith of Christ. May this Christmas be full of salvation stories! 

Dear brothers and sisters, I greet you with the love of our Lord Jesus Christ! I want to share with you a very special story that through time has been revealed, and it is amazing how the Lord brought a whole family to salvation through a little faithful heart.

In the photo, Yura is sitting at the table. His seven children are sitting around him. He is without his wife, but it wasn’t always this way. Back when his wife was alive and his family did not know the Lord, the children attended school as usual. In the class where one of Yura’s sons studied, a believing classmate invited his classmates to a Christmas puppet show for the Immanuel’s Child project. Out of the entire class, it was Yura’s son who responded. He came home and gave the invitation to his parents. At that time, his whole family were unbelievers, Yura and his wife did not know the Lord, but the whole family decided to go to the puppet show, where the Word of God was spoken afterward. Yura and his wife started attending church and bringing their children. After a while, his wife fell ill and after a long treatment, she died. Seven children remained on Yura’s shoulders, and at that time the youngest was only nine months old. During this difficult time Yura sought comfort and found it in the Lord. Once broken before the Lord, he repented in church and was baptized. This happened in 2017. Yura is now a zealous brother in the church, and all of his seven children attend church.

Praise the Lord that through a small child in school, the Lord brought the family to church. Please pray for Yura’s children, that like their father, they will repent and their lives will belong to the Lord! God bless you all!