The 2014 Malaysia International Scripture Blitz: Overcoming The Challenges

A team of Gideons from the U.S. flew to Kota Kinabalu, Saba in early May where they served with 75 local Gideons and Auxiliary, sharing God’s Word in the 2014 Malaysia International Scripture Blitz.

Challenges And Blessings

The government has passed many strict laws against trying to convert people to other religions; therefore, Gideons and Auxiliary have to take extreme care when conducting distributions to avoid any cultural conflicts.

Will Grubbs, a Gideon from Louisiana who participated in the blitz, notes that “…it is important to respect the law to preserve the ability for future distributions.” However, Grubbs admits he was saddened to watch schoolmasters excuse certain students from distribution assemblies so that those students wouldn’t be exposed to God’s Word.

Still, the Lord faithfully provided opportunities where Gideons could legally share copies of God’s Word. While waiting to make a presentation at one school, Grubbs encountered a boy named Zachary. The boy wanted to know more about Christ. Grubbs used this opportunity to read the plan of salvation from a New Testament. Shortly thereafter, he led Zachary in prayer to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Students Welcome Gideons And God’s Word

As Gideons presented the Malaysian students with their New Testaments, the students would bow and touch their foreheads to the hands of the Gideons. A teacher explained that this gesture was an expression of gratitude.

“My favorite experience was at the school in Tauran,” says Bob Drinkall, a Gideon from Illinois. After the first few children received their New Testaments, other students rushed toward the Gideons, eager to get their own personal copies. “There was an air of excitement. Many students could be seen reading their New Testaments afterward.”

An Opportunity For New Gideons

One of the local Gideons who participated in the blitz was a 22-year old who had only been a member for about a week. “He was an inspiration to us all,” says Bruce Condrey, a Gideon from Tennessee.

Excitement On Every Face

Gideons and Auxiliary placed and distributed more than 61,700 copies of God’s Word in schools, universities, hotels, medical facilities and a prison. And they witnessed many first-time professions of faith – all of this in spite of the spiritual battle of sharing God’s Word in an environment with strict limitations.

“The Malaysia Gideons were very excited,” says Condrey. “You could see it on every face.”

“This was an extraordinary blitz,” says team leader Perrin Prescott of New Hampshire. “Many thanks to the Lord for the Malaysian Gideons and their hard work in preparation. Their commitment was exemplary.”

We thank everyone who participated in this blitz. We also thank those whose prayers and financial support helped make the event a success.

To date, more than 3.2 million Scriptures have been distributed in Malaysia through The Gideons International. We praise God for every Scripture distributed and for every life that has been transformed as a result.