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 Elfriede Volk |
Bountifully Blessed
May 23 2008 / ShareHim in Madagascar, Apr. 4 - Apr. 19 '08 #293by Elfriede Volk
Personal Testimony of Elfriede Volk.
My husband and I just finished our 5th ShareHim campaign. Two were in our local church, three overseas. In four, I was a support person, and in the other, I became a last-minute speaker. With each campaign, we are becoming more convinced that this is the work we should be doing, as individuals and as a church. As we see God working in and through us, we develop a closer relationship with Him and understand His plan of salvation more clearly.
A Chinese proverb says, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” After our first homeland campaign, a man who had been a church member for 30 years told my husband, “You know, this is the first time I have understood all of our doctrines clearly.” Another lady enthused, “This is even better than church. I can hear and I can see, and I can understand.”
We are signed up for another two international campaigns this year, and God willing, will also do a homeland one in the near future. We’ve always had to watch our spending, especially since my husband took early retirement, but we figure this is the best bargain we can get for our money. It has been estimated that it costs at least $3,000 to baptize one convert in North America. Doing a homeland campaign eliminates the cost of bringing in a high-priced speaker and paying for his accommodation. The little more than two weeks of intensive study and interaction also builds a bond between attendees and church members. But the joy of seeing someone else accept Jesus and form a relationship with Him far surpasses anything else.
Yes, ShareHim costs. Flights are not cheap, and neither is hotel accommodation. As I was a stay-at-home mom, we were not able to build up a large bank account, and since my husband’s retirement, we have been living on a very small pension. Now that I am also receiving a senior’s allowance, we continue living on his pension and set mine aside for the ShareHim campaigns. It does not cover all the costs, but somehow God supplies the rest.
A Chinese proverb says, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” After our first homeland campaign, a man who had been a church member for 30 years told my husband, “You know, this is the first time I have understood all of our doctrines clearly.” Another lady enthused, “This is even better than church. I can hear and I can see, and I can understand.”
We are signed up for another two international campaigns this year, and God willing, will also do a homeland one in the near future. We’ve always had to watch our spending, especially since my husband took early retirement, but we figure this is the best bargain we can get for our money. It has been estimated that it costs at least $3,000 to baptize one convert in North America. Doing a homeland campaign eliminates the cost of bringing in a high-priced speaker and paying for his accommodation. The little more than two weeks of intensive study and interaction also builds a bond between attendees and church members. But the joy of seeing someone else accept Jesus and form a relationship with Him far surpasses anything else.
Yes, ShareHim costs. Flights are not cheap, and neither is hotel accommodation. As I was a stay-at-home mom, we were not able to build up a large bank account, and since my husband’s retirement, we have been living on a very small pension. Now that I am also receiving a senior’s allowance, we continue living on his pension and set mine aside for the ShareHim campaigns. It does not cover all the costs, but somehow God supplies the rest.