Overcoming Snow Storms And Volcanoes To Share God’s Word In Indonesia

“The International Scripture Blitz in Indonesia this February almost didn’t happen,” says team leader Dennis Donnelly. Severe snowstorms hit the eastern U.S. resulting in the cancellation of over 7,500 flights. Among those were flights of all the blitz’s team members from the U.S. In addition, the eruption of a volcano in Indonesia and its resulting dust cloud cancelled flights in Sydney, delaying a team member from Australia.

After being guided by the Lord through the many travel obstacles, the team members finally all arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia and were warmly welcomed by the local Gideons. It was time to go share God’s Word.

A True Burden For The Lost

The goal for this blitz was 90,000 Scriptures, which for a city of 20 million seemed more than possible. Less than 10% of Indonesia’s population is Christian. Today there are more than 3,800 members of The Gideons International living in Indonesia. The Gideons International has placed over 23 million Scriptures there since first organizing in the country back in 1969.

“The international team and local members all had a passion for seeing people come to know the Lord,” says Mr. Donnelly. They were willing to do the work necessary to see men and women, boys and girls have the opportunity to receive a copy of God’s Word, so that they might come to know the Savior.”

Jakarta’s Schools Welcome God’s Word

Jakarta’s highway system is very crowded. To avoid congestion and maximize opportunities for Scripture distributions, the team had to leave the hotel promptly each morning.

Most Scripture distributions took place in primary and secondary schools – 370 schools total. However, distributions were also done at 11 colleges, 3 hospitals, 3 jails, 12 hotels and one fire station.

The teams were welcomed with open arms in the schools.

Students acknowledged they wanted to go to heaven, so Gideons stressed the importance of reading the back page of the New Testaments, where instructions on how to receive Christ could be easily found.

By the end of the week, more than 113,000 Scriptures were distributed to the people of Jakarta. The camps in Jakarta have embraced a goal of 400,000 New Testaments to be placed in the city in the following three months. Their intense work continues, and they ask for your prayers.

“We continue to pray that the effects of this or any blitz will be the untold numbers of men and women, boys and girls coming to know the Savior Jesus Christ,” Mr. Donnelly says. “That is how true success is measured… with souls.”

The Gideons International thanks everyone who participated in this blitz, as well as the Gideons and Auxiliary members throughout the world whose prayers greatly contributed to the  success. Also, a special thanks to the pastors, donors and others who support our Scripture blitzes through prayer and financial gifts.

And most of all, we thank God, “…who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20 (ESV).

Six Young Ladies, Six Sincere Prayers

One of the blitz team members shared the following testimony from the Indonesia blitz: I walked into a class of six young ladies and told them I had a gift for them. Being cautious of the possibility that some of these students belonged to other religions, I shared a little about The Gideons and then told them of the peace God gives.

As we prepared to leave, the teacher asked me to share more about peace and salvation. “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life and no man comes unto the Father but by me,’” I told them.

“God loves you and doesn’t condemn you,” I said. I then quoted John 3:16-17, emphasizing not being condemned. I went on to share the plan of salvation. I told them I would help lead them in a prayer to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, while making it clear that the prayer would not mean anything if they were not serious about Jesus. They had to be sincere in their prayers. When I had finished leading the prayer, all six girls told me they had then prayed to receive Christ. And they assured me their prayers were sincere.

John Byrd, Louisiana