One Can Make All the Difference

Taj Pacleb (top), Sheila (middle), Justin (bottom)

It's been really awesome to see how God has been allowing me to work with people from the past. I met Sheila about two years ago when I first began working in ministry in a summer colporteur program called Youth Rush. She was my leader along with Greg and Karen Wilson and was therefore one of the people that taught me what I now know about canvassing. The following summer it was my turn to teach students how to canvass. That's when I met Justin. Justin was my student my first summer leading in Youth Rush. It turns out that all three of us are now working together in Sonora. Also our evangelist for our Revelation Seminar happens to be Taj Pacleb who happens to be an incredible speaker (not that I'm bias because he's from Hawaii, he really is an awesome speaker). Anyway, it's been such a blessing to be able to work with so many familiar faces.

I'm mentioning this for two reasons, first it's just too cool how God is allowing me to work with so many people I know, and second, when I drop their names, you now have a little more background info to who these random people are. So this is where the real story begins...it's really epic, so keep reading. 

It was week one of this practicum. Melina, Sheila, Justin, and I decided to go door knocking in Jamestown (another one of the small towns right outside of Sonora). Justin and Sheila would alternate pairing with Melina and myself to give us tips on talking to people. It totally gave me flash backs to the previous summers. I guess it was more of deja vu's with Sheila since she was my leader and I was used to her working with me at doors, but it was kind of funny having Justin help me at doors since I was so used to being the one helping him at doors. 

Justin and I were right about to meet up with Sheila and Melina. Sheila and Melina were finishing up their last door while Justin and I waited so we could all move up to the next street together. That's when Eloise came walking down the road. Eloise had taken her puppy on a walk and was wondering what we were doing. She was relieved to find out that we were Christians going out to share the gospel. In fact it was an answer to her prayer that Christians would reach out to her community. After talking to her for a bit she decided that she would like to study the Bible with me and we made plans to meet up later that week. 

I had no idea how excited Eloise really was to study with me. Come to find out her doctor is also a Seventh-day Adventist and he's been trying to reach out to her for a while. So when she agreed to study with me, she made sure to let him know. The first study I did with her was over Daniel 2 and how the Bible has predicted over 2500 years of history. Eloise loved the study so much that she wanted to continue studying Daniel. We've been going through Daniel slowly and it's been truly amazing how God has been teaching her so many things from simply studying one book. 

Eloise is one of the most passionate people I'm studying with and she has a deep hunger for God's word. To give you a glimpse of how much she loves to study, each time I study with her it takes a minimum of three hours. The amazing thing is sometimes she just asks a bunch of questions and by God's grace and help, He's been giving me answers. He has really been giving me the opportunity to see John 14:26 happen every week when it says, "The Holy Spirit...will bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

I wanted Eloise to understand more about Daniel so I gave her a book called Prophets and Kings. She's been reading it through the sections on Daniel faithfully (and several times as well) and has been loving it. She also watched all the documentaries (at least three times) such as Daniel Chronicles and Theodicy. Eloise is also been reading Steps to Christ and after I talked to her last night, she's planning on starting The Great Controversy. 

It's amazing to see how mind blown she's been by everything that she's been reading. I originally gave her the Steps to Christ to share with her son-in-law who has been struggling with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). But before giving it to him, Eloise decided she wanted to read it. Last night she told me, "I've been reading this book you gave me and it's unlike anything I've ever read before. I've been enjoying it because it's all true. I almost don't want to give it away because I realize how much I needed this book."

Eloise has a compassionate heart for her family and for everyone she comes into contact. She's always sharing stories with me of how she tells her neighbors and the people she meets about Jesus. It really is precious. There are times after we study that we'll just spend a few minutes praying for her loved ones.

Eloise is also extremely ministry minded. When I first knocked on Eloise's door, she wasn't home so I left a GLOW tract on her door and then later met her on the street. When I actually started studying with her she told me how much she loved that GLOW tract and how it's a great way to share Jesus with other people. God put on my heart to give her a stack of tracts to share and every week I replenish her because she gives all of them out. She's told me that as she talks to others she asks them, "do you want to be happy," then hands them a tract and says, "this will make you happy."

I could probably write a novel on how much I love Eloise and how wonderful it's been to spend time with her and study with her, so if you want to hear more about this, just give me a call. However, for now this is what really hit me the most last night; in the third hour of our study, Eloise's husband called. He works a lot and has never been able to make it to study with us, but Eloise tells me that she tells him everything we've been studying. As she was talking to him, she said, "Oh, Janelle is here right now you can just tell her yourself."

Eloise handed me the phone and her husband Joe told me, "I just wanted to thank you for all of the time that you've been spending with my wife to study the Bible with her. I've been enjoying everything that she's been sharing with me and I also really enjoyed watching the DVDs you've given her. I've been going to church for a long time but I've never learned so much then the things you've been teaching Eloise and the things I've watched in those videos. It's answered so many of my questions. I just wanted to let you know that you're doing a good job, kid. Keep it up."

My heart was touched by hearing those words, and apparently God wasn't done blowing my mind because then Eloise told me something else. She said, "you know, I know you've haven't met any of the people that I tell you about or the people we pray for, you haven't met Joe, my son, my son-in-law, my daughter, my daughter-in-law...(she continued to name off people and I actually lost track of all of them), but I just want you to know, that you've touched every single one of them. By studying with me, it's been softening my heart so that I can deal with them in a more Christ-like manner, and they've noticed. They've been asking what's so different and then I get to share with them everything I've been studying with you. You may not have actually met them, but you've touched them."

Before I left, I gave Eloise a hand full of smaller Steps to Christ to share and restocked her with GLOW. She's definitely not afraid to use it and that's great. In fact she even gives away the study guides I've given her. She told me that when the ladies from her Sunday Church give her some book to read she handed them a study guide in return and says, "great, here's something for you to read too."

As I got into my car to leave that night, the thought then came to my mind, "I know you study with her for three hours every week and you have to pray for strength from Me each time just to make it through, but just know it's all been worth it. You may only get to spend time with Eloise, but I've been using her to reach people that you personally can't." Little did I know that studying with one person could make such a difference.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, 

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 

Galatians 6:9