I first met Pili, a man from our village of Kewa, when we both lived in Kotale Village many years ago. But I lost contact with him when he left to work at a logging camp. Years later, he retired and returned to Kewa, his home village (near Kotale), where we were now living.

I remember Pili coming to me one day asking if he could borrow money to pay his granddaughter’s school fees. I invited him to do some badly-needed yard work in exchange for the money. He was overjoyed to have the opportunity to work. I didn’t know it then, but this would become a long-term relationship.

Pili became one of my most faithful workers (we have a team of workers who help keep the training center grounds looking good). Even while Laurie and I were away from the project, Pili continued his laborious task of removing elephant grass from the property. One day as Pili was pushing a wheelbarrow load of cut grass across the yard, a bolt of lightning struck a coconut tree about 30 yards down the hill from Pili. The jolt knocked him to the earth, temporarily paralyzing him on one side. He limped, dragging one foot behind him all the way back to the house. He laughs about it now, but it was quite a scary matter at the time.

“God spared me!” he exclaimed when he later recounted his story. “There is something special going on here at this mission, and God protected me.”
Please pray for our project: those who have been introduced to Christ and those whom God is waiting to introduce us to.

• Twitter