We first met Ellie at her wedding. At 28 years old, she loves her husband, but her marriage was more like a business decision than out of love. We invited her to our Christmas party and she came with her husband and brother. We explained to our guests the meaning of Christmas and gave everyone a book as a Christmas present that explained in greater detail the meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate it.

A few weeks later, she invited us to a ballet and while we were waiting she told us she had read the Christmas book and she wanted to know why God created the world in the order that He did. We were thrilled that she had even read the book and we asked her if she would like to come to our home to study God's word.

Ellie started coming to our home to study the Bible often, she watched a sermon by David Platt and watched some baptism videos from the Church at Brook Hills website. In order to plan for her visits, we asked her which day each week she would like to meet, she replied "Every day". So, we met with her 5-6 days a week depending on her work schedule. She started reading the Bible on her own time and developed a list of 300 questions about the Bible, God, Jesus, and faith.

Ellie lives in a country where she is not allowed to declare faith in Jesus, to do so, could cost her friends at work, her job, her livelihood and possibly cause her to serve time in prison.

Ellie started coming to our weekly Bible Study group. She would stay after the study for lunch and fellowship. God was changing her heart.

She was also starting to count the cost of becoming a believer. Ellie's husband didn't want her to become a Christian and she feared he would leave her. Also, to live like a Christian in a corrupt work environment would make her an easy target. It was explained to us that although she is not in danger now, she could easily become in danger.

Ellie struggled with making a decision. Some days she seemed so close and some days she seemed so far away. After we left our time in East Asia, a local believer took over our Bible Study group and was able to take the lessons to a much deeper level. Ellie continued to go every week.

Two months later we received an email from Ellie. She said, "I'm at a lost now. I have a need to God. Can you help?" We replied that everyone needs God and that He loves her, how she could put her trust in Jesus' death on the cross to rescue her and to make Him the Ruler of her life.

Later that day, we learned that she attended the Bible Study. We were told that she looked miserable. After the study, she made a decision to make Christ Lord of her life and it was then that she was finally able to smile.

Since becoming a believer she has started hosting the Bible Study at her home. The Bible Study could possibly become a Church. One lady has been baptized and Ellie will soon be baptized.

Pray for Ellie, that her faith will grow and that God would sustain her as she faces difficulties of becoming a believer. Pray for God to grow the small group of believers who are gathering at her home.

 

Stacie along with her husband and four children, returned this summer from serving Mid-Term in East Asia for 2 years. By God’s grace her family was able to share the gospel with many unreached peoples. Stacie and her family are currently in the process to go back Long-Term.

Because of your giving through the Global Offering in 2014, many individuals and families from Brook Hills were able to serve Mid-Term, and as a result many men and women like Ellie heard the gospel and were saved.

GIVE ONLINE TO THE GLOBAL OFFERING