Raised in a family of substance abuse, Pat first tasted beer at age six. Surrounded by addicts, he soon became one. He was selling drugs by 12, and collecting money for other drug dealers by 17. After committing several crimes and running from the law, he was arrested. During his time in prison, Pat was visited by a Gideon. As the words of Jesus were shared with Pat, his calloused exterior was penetrated by the tender words of God’s love. Pat’s life was restored as he surrendered it to Christ. He remains convinced of the restorative power of the Gospel, and he shares it wherever he can.
Captain “Siva” Sivaraman began flying planes at 18, and the young pilot’s talent was sought out early by Malaysia Airlines. As his promising career unfolded, his job regularly placed him in hotels. Over time, he began to take notice of the Bibles frequently found in these rooms, and he grew curious. As he began to read, the words spoke to him. “It was like a voice calling to me,” he said. Captain Siva began to encounter God slowly, yet steadily, through the Gideon-placed Bibles he returned to on many quiet, solitary nights.
When I was a child, I wanted to be a missionary. I thought it would be great to tell others about Jesus and to help people get to heaven through those efforts. However, that didn’t work out, and I’ve only been on one mission trip in my lifetime. It was a great experience that helped me appreciate what I had, and it deepened my desire to help others find salvation, but I still didn’t know how to approach strangers and ask them if they knew Jesus.
For years, I prayed for God to help me be a witness. I attended training sessions to help me learn more about witnessing. I carried cards and tracts with the Gospel, but I just couldn’t bring myself to talk to strangers. I knew there had to be a way God could use me to get His Word to others.
I knew there had to be a way God could use me to get His Word to others.
When I first heard a Gideon speak in my church, I knew without a doubt that The Gideons was something I wanted to be part of. They were organized in their witnessing and were giving God’s Word to others for free. At first, my husband, Steve, and I became involved by donating Bibles using the GideonCards provided in our church. It was a small way to get God’s Word to people who needed it.
Still, I wanted to actively tell people about Jesus and get God’s Word into their hands. When Steve was asked if he would like to be a member of The Gideons, I knew this was the way God would use us to witness.
The New Testaments have provided me with an avenue to talk to people about Jesus. It is so simple! By using the helps in the front to tell people that God’s Word has answers for any problem, I now have the confidence to approach strangers. People are hungry to hear there are answers, and it almost always gets their attention, which opens the door to witness.
Whether it’s being involved in distributions to medical clinics, handing out New Testaments from booths at fairs, uniting in prayer with other Auxiliaries, or individually talking to people about their need for a Savior, being an Auxiliary has been a blessing beyond belief! I know God is using these efforts to reach the lost and to encourage believers who are struggling.
Watching how the Gideons and Auxiliary talk to others, and how they hand out God’s Word with love and a genuine concern, has been a tremendous spiritual learning experience for me. It’s such a privilege to serve alongside such dedicated and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. I can’t even imagine how many people we will meet in heaven one day who will tell us, “You gave me a New Testament and now look where I am!” We will all be able to kneel at the feet of Jesus and worship Him together.
In April, Gideons and Auxiliary in Paraguay held an International Scripture Blitz in the capital city of Asuncion. The Asuncion metropolitan area is home to over 2.2 million people, most of whom are Roman Catholic. Less than five percent of the population is considered evangelical Christian.
An international team of Gideons from the USA and South Africa traveled to Paraguay to assist their brothers and sisters in sharing God’s Word during the one-week blitz.
The theme verse for the blitz was based on 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The Scripture goal was 150,000 Scriptures.
There was great excitement to see how the Lord would show up throughout the week as Gideons and Auxiliary would share God’s Word in Asuncion’s schools, universities, jails, hotels, hospitals, military installations, and police outposts.
Pat Corkery was the blitz team leader. He joined The Gideons in 1982 and is a member of the King County South Camp, Washington. A retired senior manager of the Federal Aviation Administration, he has served in a number of blitzes including Italy, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Albania, Venezuela, Indonesia, and Singapore.
Pat was very inspired by the outstanding planning, preparation, and teamwork accomplished by Gideons and Auxiliary in Paraguay. Such planning helped the teams share more Scriptures that week than they could have otherwise. When torrential tropical rains flooded streets and caused many schools to cancel classes, teams still worked through the challenges and managed to place and distribute God’s Word.
Paraguay’s Auxiliary was also strongly represented throughout the week. One Auxiliary who is a professional optometrist helped open doors for Scripture placements in many of the area hospitals.
Prior to departing for Paraguay, Pat was praying for the team’s success. Specifically, he was praying about how he could be a servant leader for the team. “When I serve in a blitz, I want to be there to pray with them, encourage them, and help them solve any problems,” he says. “I don’t want to get in the way, so I serve them as we work together in the Lord.”
Sharing The Gospel With Paraguay’s Students
As Gideons arrived at the schools throughout the area, they were warmly welcomed by the schools’ principals and teachers. Going from classroom to classroom, the Gideons would often first present each teacher with a Scripture. Seeing their teachers gladly receive a copy of God’s Word inspired students to take a copy as well.
Gideons were allowed to then share with students that God’s Word is an expression of His wonderful love for them. They explained the different sections of the New Testaments, pointing to the Helps in the front and the plan of salvation and Decision pages in the back.
Don Asheim of the Bismarck Camp in North Dakota was sharing God’s Word at one of Paraguay’s university campuses. Don is a retired engineer and a member of Bismarck Community Church. He enjoys using his tech skills to assist others in his camp and state association in carrying out their ministry through The Gideons International. As a man who tends to be quiet by nature, Don was relying on the Lord’s strength to help him.
During a slower period of the distribution, Don noticed a young man sitting outside the campus gate. He walked over and gave the young man a Scripture, and then stepped back inside the gate and continued handing out New Testaments to students as they passed.A little while later, he noticed the young man was reading the New Testament. Don and his translator, Cesar, approached him. Speaking through Cesar, Don asked the young man if he had any questions.
“What is this book about?” asked the young man, whose name was Roberto. As Cesar translated, Don explained the Gospel and then pointed out the plan of salvation page. After walking Roberto through several verses, they asked if he would like to pray to receive Christ. In the moments to follow, the translator led the prayer as the Roberto accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.
Gideons in Paraguay were grateful for the warm reception they received at the schools. However, Pat has seen enough changes in his own homeland over the decades to know the climate for open evangelism in schools can change.
He shared a precautionary message with the team. “Don’t take this for granted. Pray and thank God for these open doors, and continue to ask that He’ll keep the doors open.”
Another blitz participant, Dennis Holcombe, is a retired CPA and a member of Mid-Cities Baptist Church in Westminster, California. At home, he loves sharing the Gospel with others as he offers them Personal Workers Testaments. In Paraguay, Dennis found many more opportunities for sharing God’s Word.
At one university campus distribution in Paraguay, Dennis presented New Testaments to two young men who volunteered to assist in translating for the Gideons.
“Are you a born-again believer?” he asked the first young man, who paused and then replied, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Dennis asked the second young man, “If you were to tell someone how to get to Heaven, what would you say?”
That young man hesitated and responded, “I don’t know.”
Dennis then took the opportunity to witness to the two men. Both responded by praying to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. A third young man was a mature believer and was close friends with the two others. He committed to disciple his two friends through daily Bible study.
Touching Lives Throughout Asuncion
As Pat Corkery spoke to a church congregation in Asuncion, his wife Cynthia, and their daughters, Susie and Linda, were back home in Washington watching the event live through the church’s online streaming video.
Throughout the week, team members like Pat received texts from family members and fellow camp members. “My camp is very interested in what we do in these blitzes and are very spiritually supportive,” Pat says. “It’s a blessing to be lifted up by them when away on these travels.”
At one hospital, Gideon Larry Wright approached a patient who was there with his wife. The couple was excited to see a Scripture being placed by the bedside. “Thank you,” they told the Gideons, “We were just saying how we wished we had a copy of God’s Word. And now, you’ve given us one.”
“Our God is an on-time God,” Larry replied.
The man explained he was awaiting surgery to remove a tumor. Larry and other Gideons gathered around the Christian couple and prayed. The couple thanked them for placing Scriptures and for bringing them a sense of peace as well.
On Friday, Gideons made a Scripture distribution to Paraguay’s military responsible for guarding the Paraguayan President, Congress, and the capital city of Asuncion. Prior to the distribution, a special ceremony was held including a military parade.
The National Evangelical Chaplain of the Armed Forces is Gumercindo Oviedo Sanchez. He accompanied the Gideons in each distribution to the military. He is very familiar with The Gideons International as he was a member himself, prior to becoming a chaplain.
“I have the honor, in my position, to express my most sincere gratitude for the provision and distribution of the Word of God,” he told the Gideons. He also commended Paraguay National Field Representative Guillermo Voucher for his diligence in fulfilling his ministry.
Gratitude for the Blitz Results
By the end of the blitz, Gideons and Auxiliary had placed and distributed 158,870 Scriptures, surpassing their goal for the week. They also shared the ministry of The Gideons in seven churches and received combined offerings of approximately USD$3,500. Additionally, the Lord led several new Gideons and Auxiliary to join during the week.
First-time blitz participant Richard Dykstra said, “The best way for me to express my overall experience is to say the only regret I have is that I did not do this sooner.” He says he hopes to serve again in a future blitz.
Pat also expressed gratitude for the relationships formed with fellow members of The Gideons while serving in blitzes. “The relationships you form with these brothers and sisters with Christ is like becoming a part of a family. We have a common purpose and vision. We love souls and the Lord,” he says.
Bill Sanders, owner of Lefty’s Barbecue, and member of the Crossville Camp of The Gideons International.
If you’re driving through Crossville, Tennessee, and ask locals to recommend a great spot for delicious barbecue, they will likely point you to Lefty’s Barbecue.
Lefty’s is owned by Bill Sanders, a faithful Christian. Bill also serves in the Crossville Camp of The Gideons International.
Bill grew up in Humboldt, Tennessee. The family regularly attended church and never worked on their hog farm on Sundays. Bill’s dad learned how to make barbecue from a man who was a local legend for his hickory pit-smoked barbecue.
The family re-settled a few hours east in Crossville, and Bill’s dad opened Lefty’s Barbecue in 1982. Bill worked there part-time in college. After graduating, he moved to Dalton, Georgia, and went to work for his father-in-law. It was a good job, and year after year, it provided for Bill, his wife, and their three children.
Back in Crossville, Bill’s parents were getting up in years. They kept holding on to the restaurant in expectation a planned highway project would result in the state of Tennessee purchasing their property. Such a purchase would fund their retirement.
However, delays with the highway project kept the parents’ retirement plans on hold. Bill’s dad passed away in 2006, and Bill’s mother struggled to keep Lefty’s going. After a few months, she called Bill and said, “Son, I can’t run this restaurant anymore.” She needed his help.
“That was where we were going to retire,” he says. However, the Lord had other plans.
Bill had just purchased nine acres of land in Georgia with a view of Lookout Mountain. “That was where we were going to retire,” he says. However, the Lord had other plans.
Trusting In The Lord’s Provision
Feeling obligated to help his mother, Bill left his job of 20 years and moved his wife and three children to Crossville in 2007. He wanted his mother to be able to retire, so he bought the business from her.
The restaurant was struggling. Bill worked around the clock to get the business running strong again.
On top of the pressure of operating the restaurant, Bill was still paying the note on his property in Georgia. With three children still in school and a slow economy, the pressures continued to mount.
When he finally did sell the property in Georgia, it was at a huge loss. “We were living week to week,” he says. “I had never experienced financial issues before. For the first time, I realized I was in a situation where I had to totally rely on the Lord.”
Bill’s trust in the Lord was about to be put to an even bigger test.
“I was working myself to death, seven days a week. I’d be sitting in church on Sunday morning, and my phone would be buzzing with work-related messages,” recalls Bill.
Nevertheless, he kept pressing on in faith. “You just roll up your sleeves and go to work every day. At the end of the day, you thank the Lord for His provision.”
Bill’s trust in the Lord was about to be put to an even bigger test. As he thought more and more about how to turn the restaurant’s business around, he realized there were some major business decisions he needed to hand over to the Lord. One day, he sat down with his mother to talk about some of those changes.
“Momma, I know Sunday is our busiest day. However, when we were growing up on the farm, we never worked on Sunday. We were taught to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. So why did you and dad decide to start opening the restaurant on Sunday?”
“Because we needed the revenue to survive,” she told him.
“But that’s not what you taught us growing up,” he said. “Being open on Sundays is making us a stumbling block to employees, and I don’t feel right about them using work as an excuse for skipping church.”
“Son, if you close on Sundays you’ll go out of business,” his mother warned him.
Bill continued sharing his other concerns. Back when they were raising Bill and his siblings, the parents were dead set against alcohol.
So he asked, “Why did you and Dad decide Lefty’s should serve beer?”
“Son we had to do that for this business to work,” she warned him again.
“Well I’m just not comfortable with it,” he said.
“Son, if you quit selling beer, you’ll go out of business,” she told him.
Bill lived with the nagging discomfort of remaining open on Sundays and serving alcohol for some time. In 2009, he reached a point where he knew something had to change.
In a moment of fervent prayer, Bill opened his heart. “Lord, I need to be more involved in church. I’m going to start closing on Sundays, as an act of obedience to You. If I go out of business, then I’ll know You want me somewhere else.”
That year, Lefty’s started closing on Sundays. Sales stayed the same. Customers quickly adjusted and began coming in more on Saturdays and Mondays. God quickly showed Bill loyalty to Him would be paid back in terms of loyal customers. Closing on Sundays also helped reduce employee overtime costs.
Still, the restaurant had not stopped selling beer.
An Invitation To Join The Gideons
Lefty’s Barbecue does a considerable amount of business catering events for churches and other Christian groups. In the summer of 2010, they catered an annual event of the Crossville Gideon Camp. As Bill was working the event, one of the Gideons said, “Bill, you should be a Gideon.”
Bill said he would consider joining. He was invited to a meeting of The Gideons, which increased his interest. He saw it as an opportunity to merge more of his business life with ministry. “Everything just seemed to fit,” he said.
However, he learned members of The Gideons International could not operate a business that sold alcohol.
Bill could have decided right then he wouldn’t join. Instead, he prayed, “Lord, I feel You led me to be a member of this Association. I believe this is just more confirmation You don’t want me to sell alcohol.”
Bill made the decision once and for all and stopped ordering beer for resale. Then, he joined The Gideons.
Experiencing The Blessings Of Being A Gideon
Closing on Sundays and stopping the sale of alcohol did not hurt Lefty’s business.
The newer Lefty’s location where Bill relocated the business after the state purchased the older property in 2012.
Some customers complain about the restaurant no longer selling beer. However, Bill takes it as an opportunity to share how he does it as an act of obedience to the Lord.
God’s faithfulness showed up in a tremendous way in 2012. The highway project finally came together. The state purchased the old Lefty’s location, and Bill was able to relocate Lefty’s into a much bigger building, just off the Interstate. Business has since doubled.
Like most legendary restaurants, Lefty’s has its own signature decor. As you enter the foyer, you’ll see baseball caps that have been donated by customers over the years. Inside the dining area, you’ll see his late mother’s cross-stitching designs hanging on the walls. If you were to walk around the work areas in Lefty’s, you would see Bible verses Bill has hung up.
Bill says serving in The Gideons has been a blessing to him in many ways. As a Gideon, he takes advantage of the opportunity to purchase New Testaments from The Gideons to give to his customers.
Bill is inspired by the Gideons he sees serving the Lord, even in their years of retirement. “They’ve shown me that because their work life is over doesn’t mean their Christian walk is over.”
“The Lord has made it clear to me, ‘Bill, I want you to continue to grow.’ Serving in The Gideons has given me opportunities to do so.”
“Because I work so much, I’m not able to get out as much as I’d like. This gives me an opportunity to witness here at my place of business. It’s been a blessing to my customers.”
Bill is inspired by Gideons he sees serving the Lord, even in their years of retirement. “They’ve shown me that because their work life is over doesn’t mean their Christian walk is over. In fact, it gives them even greater opportunities to share their faith. Christianity is a full-time endeavor. The more free time you have on your hands, the more opportunities you have to share Christ with others.”
From an early age, Ryan Ries was exposed to the allure of sin. As a young adult, he found himself far from God. Temptation grabbed hold of him, and Ryan followed it to extremes. Ryan was thriving in his career, experiencing every comfort and worldly pleasure, but he was decaying within.
Following a drug overdose in Panama City, Panama, Ryan found a Gideon-placed Bible in his hotel room. During his flight home from Panama to Los Angeles, he read it intently. When he landed, he was changed. He felt peace as never before.
Ryan asked the Lord to deliver him from his many addictions, seeking to surrender everything in exchange for a new life with Christ. Ryan now travels the world, speaking of the grace and mercy of God. His passion is to share how Jesus Christ is better than anything Earth can offer.
Guatemala is the most populous nation in Central America. Bridging Mexico and the rest of Central America, it is a country rich in resources and culture.
However, Guatemala has had the misfortune of much civil unrest and political corruption, depriving the people of safety and peace. A decades-long civil war, 1960-1996, splintered the nation and claimed many lives. The history of Guatemala bears many scars, brought by years of conflict imposed from within and without, but the people have shown impressive resilience and potential. Specifically, the Christian faith has remained strong in Guatemala, and the people are eager for more of the Gospel.
Gideons in Guatemala recently hosted an International Scripture Blitz attesting to this spiritual yearning.
Prior to the first day of the blitz, Gideons spoke at local church services. One Gideon recalled: “The church service at Fraternidad Christiana de Guatemala was a great experience. I knew I was among Christian brothers and sisters.” The Gideon’s presentations drew interest from the congregation, including a top general in the Guatemalan Army. This man was able to provide “unprecedented” access for Gideons to distribute New Testaments to the military. While in the Guatemalan equivalent of a Veterans Affairs office, a waiting man mentioned he had once received a Testament while he was fighting in the jungle with the military. During the civil war, he was shot in the back. Miraculously, the bullet did not hit him. It pierced the Testament in his backpack. He hadn’t had a Testament since, so Gideons were glad to share a new one with him.
Miraculously, the bullet did not hit him.
It pierced the Testament in his backpack.
The next day focused on grade school students. The accessibility to the schools was great, and the receptivity inside was even better. At one school in particular, Aldea Chichimecas, the principal and teachers were overjoyed to see the Gideons arrive, eager to have Bibles in their school. Gideon Damon Disch recalled, “One girl said she was so happy since she now had a New Testament in her hand.” Gideons were able to visit individual classrooms, speaking to the students directly with truth and encouragement.
The rest of the week included more school distributions resulting in many smiling young faces. Fredi, a blitz participant, was especially adept at interacting with the kids in one of the schools. A former teacher, Fredi joined the students while they were playing in a courtyard – he organized games, played soccer with them, and used Bible verses to teach them all the while. As students asked questions, he was able to share the Good News with them.
The Auxiliary played a vital role as well. Their presence in the hospital was deeply felt, from distributing New Testaments to staff, to praying with the sick and suffering. Such individuals Gideons and Auxiliary prayed for included a boy with a severe snake bite whom doctors thought might die, as well as the parents of newborns. Amid pain and poor conditions, the light of Christ brought hope in their darkness.
“Amid pain and poor conditions, the light of Christ brought
hope in their darkness.”
Members in Guatemala and blitz participants worked diligently in the preparation and execution of this successful blitz. The commitment of the camps was instrumental in making the experience smooth and efficient. Members in one camp distributed 60,000 Scriptures on their own. Overall, 230,000 Scriptures were placed and distributed over the course of the blitz. The mission of The Gideons International is cherished in Guatemala, which shows enormous promise for the future.
We have made it once again to the end of another year. Most are ready to simply relax and get through the holiday hustle. Yet we will soon find ourselves busy again when the new year gets underway. Is there room for us to rest in a lasting way this Christmas? When we look to Christ, we find peace and contentment instead of anxiety and exhaustion.
Christmas provides the counter-cultural opportunity to simplify. Before we sought any comforts of the world, we were sought first.
In the book of Isaiah, a Deliverer is promised – one not simply for the Jews of the day, but for people of all ages. Centuries later, a Child of infinite importance was born in the humblest of conditions. In Luke 2:10, we find one account of the prophecy being fulfilled: “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”
The Good News was that Christ came for us, to effectually and entirely release us of our burdens and sins. In doing so, He imparted to us a peace that is not interrupted or affected by circumstances. For believers, Christmas is a powerful celebration of this reality. He has come to us, and we have Him now. In Jesus Christ we find a supreme delight, better than the world’s offerings, and safe passage through life’s trials.
The consumerism of the season can persuade us we still need many things, but we have a Redeemer who supersedes all lesser interests. We have a Savior whose power and tenderness reassures us of His promises. His incarnation ensures He can sympathize with all our earthly cares, and His accomplishments provide a guarantee of salvation. To confidently proclaim this truth could be our highest achievement this Christmas. If you are in Christ, you are complete.
In this hopeful state, Christmas loses any superfluous modern additions and regains its transcendent power. Gazing on Christ provides every opportunity to rejoice in the blessings of a fruitful year, every needed consolation for a difficult year, and every possible hope for the new year yet to come. The news received by startled shepherds thousands of years ago is the same good news for us today.
‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 ESV
Marcelus, one of the thousands of students in Haiti to receive a New Testament during the blitz.
Weeks before traveling to Haiti, Tim McCormick was standing in the middle of New York City’s Times Square hoping for a personal witnessing opportunity to share the Gospel with someone who did not know Jesus. Even with thousands of people all around, the 58-year-old poultry breeder from Blackville, South Carolina, was still challenged to find anyone there who would stop long enough to talk.
Jesus told his disciples the world’s distractions would keep people from the Word:
“…but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” – Mark 4:19
Few places in the world offer more distractions than Times Square with its giant digital billboards, flashing neon lights, costumed characters, Broadway theaters, and souvenir gift shops.
A few weeks later, Tim traveled to Haiti to serve with other members of The Gideons International in the 2016 Haiti International Scripture Blitz. They hoped to share 80,000 New Testaments over the course of five days. The reception Tim would receive in the poverty-stricken coastal community of Saint-Marc would be very different from that of Times Square.
Haiti’s Pastors Work Side By Side With Gideons
The fervent prayers of Gideons, their wives who serve in the Auxiliary, and others around the world opens doors for a blitz team. Those prayers opened the doors of Haiti’s pastors.
The event brought Gideons to Saint-Marc just a few days after Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti. The hurricane was the largest catastrophic event to hit Haiti since an earthquake back in 2010.
If you are accustomed to modern telecommunications, it’s hard to imagine how slowly news can travel in Haiti. In Saint-Marc, Gideons met people who were not even aware a hurricane had struck.
Though Saint-Marc did not experience the full force of Hurricane Matthew, lives were lost, homes were destroyed, families were displaced, and roads, schools, and churches were badly damaged.
“If it had not been for the pastors we would have been lost.”
When a few pastors in Saint-Marc heard Gideons were coming to share God’s Word, they spread the word to other pastors in the district. By the time Gideons arrived, the pastors were ready for them.
Gideons had to rely on the pastors to get them to all the schools, hospitals, prisons, and other distribution locations. Tim says he has never seen pastors and Gideons work side by side like they did during the week in Haiti.
“If it had not been for the pastors we would have been lost,” says Tim.
Roughly 80% of Haiti’s population lives below poverty level. Unlike many other countries, people in Haiti cannot depend on their government for assistance. For many Haitians, the struggle to survive is a day-to-day challenge.
Haitian Gideons coming from several miles away to help with the distributions traveled to Saint-Marc by public transportation. If staying overnight, they would stay with someone they knew in Saint-Marc, as the expense of staying in a motel was out of reach.
Hidalgo Delbeau is a Gideon in the Port Au Prince Camp, Haiti, who served during the blitz. “We had Gideons come from Jacmel, Thiotte, Carrefour, Diquini, Delmas, Pétion-Ville, and Croix des Bouquets,” says Hidalgo. “It was a real blessing for them.” He says that getting to serve alongside pastors and Gideons who came from the USA was a great encouragement for Haiti’s Gideons.
The event’s team leader, David Beaty, is a member of the Sante Fe Camp, New Mexico. He is a member at Legacy Church in Albuquerque and owns a small business. He joined the Gideons in 1987 and has served as team leader on prior International Scripture Blitzes in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and the Philippines.
David says the pastors volunteered their cars and served as interpreters. “One of the pastors served with me all day long, every day of the week,” he says. Pastors even brought members from their own congregations to help translate, hoping they might be inspired to join The Gideons International someday.
A Real Hunger For God’s Word
“Anyone who realized we had Scriptures was desperate to get a copy.”
For many in Haiti, simply surviving can be a day-to-day struggle. Bringing God’s Word offers them hope.
In Scripture, you can read of instances where crowds not only followed after Jesus, but actually “pressed in” on Him to hear the Word of God. In Haiti, Gideons got a close up view of what that experience was like.
“I found a hunger for God’s Word like I had never seen before,” says Tim. “Anyone who realized we had Scriptures was desperate to get a copy.”
These medical professionals provide vital care for the people of Haiti. Gideons provided them with Scriptures proclaiming the hope of Jesus, the Great Physician.
On Monday, a hospital administrator led one team of Gideons through wards filled with patients, many who were dying. The team was able to place a Scripture at every bedside. Up and down the hospital corridors, benches were packed with patients’ family members and friends. Those copies of God’s Word beside the beds can offer comfort and hope to the patients as well as to their family and friends visiting them.
As with most International Scripture Blitzes, the majority of the Scriptures were distributed at the schools. Throughout the week, Gideons were welcomed with great joy by thousands of students and their teachers, excited to receive copies of God’s Word.
Late in the week, Gideons began to see the Lord had a much grander vision for His Word going forth in Haiti. Because of the poverty in Haiti, most dwellings are occupied by multiple generations of family members. So as children returned home from their schools with a copy of God’s Word that week, they were returning to share the Good News in a house filled with brothers, sisters, parents, and in many cases, grandparents, as well as other relatives.
Jenna was another of the students in Haiti to receive a Scripture. She is glowing with the joy of Jesus.
Gideons know a single copy of God’s Word can touch multiple lives. That is exactly how God was using the New Testaments they were distributing that week in Haiti.
Lives Changed, In Haiti And Beyond
By the end of the five-day event, Gideons had distributed over 125,000 Scriptures to the people of Saint-Marc, far surpassing their original distribution goal by more than 45,000 Scriptures. Copies of God’s Word are now in the hands of Haiti’s students, teachers, hotel employees, police officers, hospital employees, and prison inmates. Gideons experienced the blessing of seeing students and others pray to receive Christ.
Hidalgo says an official of Saint-Marc and his colleagues met with Gideons to express their thanks for Gideons coming to share God’s Word with their citizens, and he asked the Gideons to never give up in what they were doing.
Haiti’s pastors were overjoyed as they witnessed people in their own communities receive Scriptures and make public decisions to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.
“Since the blitz, we’ve been keeping close contact with the people we met in Saint-Marc,” says Hidalgo. He has already made a return trip to Saint-Marc to continue building relationships there which could lead to more open doors for Scripture distributions in the future.
Julius Grubbs, Jr. is a Gideon from New Iberia, Louisiana, who participated in the Haiti blitz. The sights of Haiti left an impression on him. “As always, a trip like this makes you thankful for what we have in the United States, and it increases our prayers for our brothers and sisters in those countries,” says Julius.
Tim is back home in South Carolina. However, fond memories of the Haiti blitz live on. He recalls finishing a distribution at one of the schools and being surrounded by smiling, laughing children who just wanted to touch him. “I felt loved beyond what you can imagine,” he says of the experience.
A few days after returning back home, Tim shared his Haiti experience at a meeting with members of The Gideons in his own community. He told them how he saw Gideons and pastors working together in Haiti toward one common goal – sharing God’s Word. “I tried to challenge our Gideons to work at building stronger relationships with pastors,” he says.
Gideons saw a hunger for God’s Word in Haiti like they had never seen before.
Although the 2016 Haiti International Scripture Blitz is over, Gideons who served in the blitz are not finished sharing God’s Word. They will continue to witness and share Scriptures back in their hometowns. While they may not all experience crowds of people as desperate for God’s Word as those encountered during this blitz, they can trust the Lord to bring the right people to them at the right time.
For many, Christmas is a time of jubilation and harmony. For others, it can hold painful memories and serves as a solemn reminder that even amid a season of hope, we are not immune to sadness. Nevertheless, the Savior’s light shines most brightly in dark places, thus we can celebrate no matter the circumstances. What follows is a story of deep sorrow transformed by Christ into righteous joy.
Lowell “Bud” Paxton’s broadcasting career led him from radio to TV and the birth of the Home Shopping Network. He was flourishing, yet his business ventures kept him busy and away from home, so much that he did not realize his marriage was failing. On Christmas morning, 1986, at the height of his business success, Bud’s life hit rock bottom.
“We were living in Florida at the time, and all my family went downstairs and gathered around the Christmas tree,” Paxton says. “We sang a few Christmas carols and opened our presents.” Shortly after, his wife took him aside and explained that she was leaving him for another man. Within the hour, she took her presents and left.
Bud’s charmed situation was now a nightmare. Helpless, he knew there was nothing he could do to heal the marriage. It was broken beyond repair. He was left surrounded by the trappings of success, yet he was miserable.
His grown children insisted he accompany them on a planned holiday vacation to Las Vegas. “We had front-row seats on New Year’s Eve to the Buddy Hackett show,” he said. “Everyone was laughing, and I was sitting there crying. I was a broken human being.” After midnight, Bud slipped away to his hotel suite. Unable to sleep, he got up at 4 a.m. and started looking for a Gideon-placed Bible. He desperately searched every drawer until he found one.
Bud opened the Bible randomly to the fifth chapter of Job, and read how God rescued Job from hardship and despair. He then turned to the front of the Bible and found directions to verses that explained how to have peace with God. In Romans 5:8, he discovered that Christ had died on the cross to pay the debt for his sins. In that moment, Bud decided to stop pursuing all the pleasures of the world and to start pursuing a relationship with the Lord.
“When I put my faith in Jesus Christ, an overwhelming peace came over me. I knew at that moment that God loved me. I knew He was with me.”
The strong desire to serve God with his life and business led to many changes. Bud later sold his investment in the Home Shopping Network and eventually created Pax TV, now known as Ion Television, a family-centered network with the aim of providing spiritually-based positive programming for families to watch together.
“I regret I had to hit bottom before I was willing to listen to God,” he says. “But I’m thankful He was there waiting for me.”
The Bibles placed by The Gideons International, in hotel rooms and elsewhere, are funded by the generous support of partners like yourself. This Christmas season will open many hungry hearts, providing a prime opportunity for the Gospel to enter. One way to contribute to our global endeavor of spreading the Good News is through Christmas GideonCards. Learn more here: https://give.gideons.org/christmas/
