The Pettit Team Abroad

This week I am staying with one of the sweetest families I have ever met! The entire family has been saved for four or fewer years. They are now extremely active in the church, and have been unbelievably gracious this week!

One of the best things about them is that they still have such a fresh excitement over their salvation. Having lived most of their lives, and even starting a family, without knowing Christ, it is so exciting to see the extreme changes in their lives.They are constantly praising the Lord for how He has changed their family, and they are now burdened for their extended family to be saved.

Both of our families parents are unsaved. They have come to church a few times, but have never shown much interest in being saved. They invited them to the service tonight, and they promised to come. The Egerdahls (who are also staying here), our host family, and I have been so burdened for them to come and be saved.

They did come tonight! Immediately everyone tried to make them feel welcome in the church. All of the hymns and songs that we sang seemed so perfect for them! Also, the message tonight was one of the clearest and most powerful gospel messages I’ve heard! During the invitation I was begging God to open their eyes to the gospel. I prayed that He would show them their sin and their desparate need of salvation. I asked Him to fulfill His promises that His Word will not return to Him void, and that it is not His will that any should perish.

However, their parents did not receive Christ tonight. They did not indicate a knowledge that they needed Christ, and they did not move during the invitation. However, her mom did say that she had some questions for the pastor and spent quite some time talking to the pastor’s wife after the service.

Even though it was difficult to see them leave unsaved, I know that God is working in their lives. His timing is perfect, and His promises are still true! Please pray that they will come to another service and receive Christ!- Amanda

Joel and I had an intriguing conversation with a Polish man named Karol. He moved from Poland to the U.K. a few years back to learn to speak English. While he was there, he was led to the Lord, and then shortly after, married an English-speaking woman. He said they had moved to Australia to have more room (and more Christian opportunities) for their kids to grow up in. He didn’t feel like England was really offering those things. Karol and his wife have been married 4 years, have 3 children, and just do what they can at the church and in the neighborhood to share the Gospel. Karol said something interesting that I don’t want to forget. He was talking about how he was out one day and, “of course, he had to share the gospel with the man he met and was talking to.” Then he looked at me and said, “I mean, if I don’t share the gospel with everyone I meet, then why should I bother being Christian?” That really hit home. I know I don’t witness to everyone I meet, and I try to salve my conscience by reminding myself of the times I have witnessed and of the children and teens I’ve been able to lead to the Lord. Karol has never been to Bible College, never been to American, and never even been in Greenville! Yet he lives the true Christian life. I think that God used this simple Polish man to prick my heart and stir my soul up about why I’m even still alive.- Megan

I am noticing God really convicting me for the need for more prayer in my life. I can read the Bible then my prayers are so shallow. All I did was ask God to do things instead of really using the time to get to know my God.

I have been studying all of the passages in the Bible on Jesus’ prayer life, and what a rebuke it is to me. If the Son of God spent tons of time in prayer communicating to God how much more should I (lowly man) spend in communication to God. So I practiced what I was learning on the last plane trip. I would just close my eyes and talk to God about everything and before I knew it I had been talking to God for a long time. God has been so good to me to teach me how to pray. This whole trip has to be bathed in prayer and what better time to learn from God? – Bridget