Bibleless Missionary

The first blog I posted from the field was about two Australian friends we met in Guatemala and I gave my Bible to them. That Bible was specifically hard to give away because it belonged to my brother who had passed away 5 years previous. I quickly moved on and was able to find an English Bible in a Spanish speaking country. 8 weeks later and I met a girl from Switzerland and she gladly accepted the Bible as she was hungry to learn more about the God of the Bible. Our mentor happened to bring some Bibles to the field and I received one of those with great joy. We arrive in Romania and it was quickly given away. I took a deep breath and wondered when I would ever be able to keep a Bible in my possession for more than a couple of months. Another bible came and went in Albania. I used my iPad for the entirety of Albania as I was Bibleless and couldn’t find an English Bible anywhere. I finally give up and get my personal bible from home shipped out to the field – begging God to not make me give it away. I plan to have a few Bibles with me so that I am able to give those away instead of mine. My personal Bible arrives and I have a conversation with my mentor about how special this Bible is, worn and read, years of notes and annotations made in this 66 chapter book. I tell her how I would cry if I had to give this Bible away, the only words that leave her mouth are “Well I am praying for God to send someone to give it away to.” We were going into debrief and so I wasn’t really worried about the possibility of having to give my Bible away therefore I didn’t go and buy any extras yet.

Istanbul, Turkey – Debrief

I wonder around town waiting for my meeting to start in about an hour. I overhear a girl on the phone speaking in English, but she had a thick American accent. I was intrigued, it doesn’t happen often that you meet an American in these streets. I approached her and asked her where she is from “Delaware.” I had to think really hard about that where state was. I ask what she is doing in Istanbul, she’s an international student and has been here a few years. She explains that she is waiting to grab coffee with a friend and ask if I wanted to join them. A few minutes later a guy approaches us and she introduces us as we walk to the coffee shop. Osmar is his name, Sidney is hers. We sit and order Americanos – my favorite if you’ve ever known me. Osmar ask what I am doing in Istanbul and I tell him I am a worker. I ask what the occasion is for them getting coffee, “I have been trying to introduce her to Jesus for a few months now.” My jaw kinda drops, an American girl and a Turkish guy meeting over coffee to discuss the Gospel only it wasn’t the American that was a Christian it was the Turk. I was shook. I sit and listen as she tells him that she has been trying to read the Bible he had given her weeks prior but the English was hard to understand as it was the King James Translation. Osmar is aggravated and explains that is the only English Bible he can find in Istanbul and there isn’t much hope for an easier translation. I ask Sidney if she would read the Bible if there was an easier translation, she replied yes and Osmar looks at me like ‘well duh but there is no way for us to get one in this city.’ I get up and walk to the hostel, grab my Bible I had just had shipped to the field and return to the coffee shop. I hand it to Sidney and Osmar looks at my Bible like I had just given her my last dollar. I hadn’t told either one of them that I was a Christian but at this point Osmar knew exactly what I was. I follow him to a bookstore, we walk in and his friend Allan greets us. “She needs a Bible” Osmar yelled out, Allan replies “Wow, another one?” I soon realize that Osmar is a missionary to his own country, apparently it is not uncommon for Osmar to bring people in who are in need of Bibles. I ask the store clerk if he accepts card, Osmar ask if I need money, he explained that he was poor but he could buy the Bible. I tell him no I just don’t have cash but make a joke that I am poor too. He looks me in my eyes and says no you are rich in Spirit but yeah I know you don’t have money because you are a missionary. I look at him sideways and laugh, “how’d you know?” Well because unbelieving people don’t have a Bible that looks like it’s been to the pits of hell and back like yours did. I laugh but cry a little inside thinking of my Bible I had just put in the hands of a fellow American.

I didn’t think twice about it when it happened, but I can’t say that I don’t wished I still had it. It was something special, it was the Bible I had read for 4 years in my room, it was the Bible I carried in my backpack the last 8 years pulling it out every chance I had, it was the Bible I thought would be beside me in the casket. The next couple of days my heart was filled with deep grief as I realize that I would never see that Bible again. I am not sure how many more Bibles I will go through in the next 5 months, but I know at this point I am willing to give anyone any Bible in any hopes for them to accept the Gospel.

I am no longer Bibleless, but a proud new convert to KJV.

Continue to pray for Osmar and Sidney as they continue to meet and he continues to share the heart of the Father with Sidney. Pray for Sidney’s heart to be softened and receptive to the Gospel.