Finding Abundant Life
Pesach had grown up like many people in his village, following religious rituals and knowing nothing of the personal relationship he could have with Christ.
Eventually, Pesach got married and joined the police force. Things were going well. He and his wife, Teo, were blessed with three children, and Pesach enjoyed good health. In time, he rose to the ranks of police inspector. But something was missing. Despite his seemingly good, fulfilling life, Pesach had never felt true happiness or joy.
One night in 1990, that changed when three Christians visited Pesach’s home. They shared the Good News with him, sang some hymns and invited him to attend the worship service at their church. Their words and songs imprinted themselves on Pesach’s heart. Those Christians followed a God who promised abundant life, and Pesach wanted to know more about Him.
Excited to learn more, Pesach attended the church service. Then the pastor shared something that pierced Pesach’s soul: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Conviction overwhelmed Pesach as he remembered the sins he had committed throughout his life. But he realized that Jesus had died for him on the cross, and he wanted a relationship with the God who loved him that much, the God who would forgive Him. As supernatural peace and joy welled inside him, Pesach set a new trajectory for his life. He repented of his sins and began to walk with Christ.
A New Calling, a New Challenge
Around the same time, Pesach resigned from the police force. God had transformed Pesach, but what was he to do with his life now? The Holy Spirit tugged at his heart as he studied the words of Scripture. He sensed the Lord was calling him to service in full-time ministry. But what would that look like? How would he start? Those things only became clear after Pesach and his family relocated to Pesach’s home village.
Pesach returned to the village as a new creation in Christ. He knew the encouragement that came from worshiping the Lord alongside other believers. He knew the hope and transformation brought by Jesus alone—and he desperately wanted others to experience that, too. But as he surveyed his village, he found there was no church there.
Pesach needed to grow in his new faith, and he wanted others to experience the same peace and joy he had found in Christ. But how would the people of his village find eternal life and grow in their faith without a local church?
Gradually, God revealed the answer to this question. First, Pesach found out about a program that would train and equip men and women to share God’s love with people like those in his community, people who had never heard the Good News. Pesach joined the discipleship program, which was supported by GFA World, and by the end of the program, he had formed an idea. What if he could instigate a change in his home village? What if he could start a prayer fellowship there?
So, he did. Before long, people began joining Pesach weekly to pray and worship God together. From this small gathering, the first GFA-supported church in Pesach’s country was born.
One New Brother Among Many
At first, many people in the village were not happy about the new fellowship. They forbade Pesach and his family from joining in local social activities, and they acted with hostility toward them.
But Pesach prayed faithfully for his village. Like many other GFA national missionaries, he didn’t let discouragement derail his ministry, and he continued to love his neighbors. As they learned more about the Jesus whom Pesach served, their attitudes slowly changed, and they stopped rejecting the pastor.
One day, a woman from Pesach’s fellowship brought her son, Sima, to Pastor Pesach. Sima had not been interested in learning about his mother’s new God. But a sudden eye ailment was now debilitating Sima. What had started as an irritation had quickly morphed into severe pain, and his eyes had grown swollen, obscuring his ability to see. Sima went to a hospital for medical treatment, but his case baffled the doctors. They knew of nothing that could cure him. Could this Jesus whom his mother and Pastor Pesach followed do something for him?
Sima’s mother asked the pastor to pray for her son. Miraculously, after Pastor Pesach prayed, God completely healed Sima’s eyes!
But that wasn’t the only miracle. As Sima’s eyes regained their ability to see clearly, Sima finally saw the truth of who Jesus was. He chose to follow Him, began attending church alongside his mother, and grew in a desire to learn more about Christ. That desire eventually led Sima to a Bible college. Today, he himself is a pastor who proclaims the Good News in places where it has never been heard.
At least 12 other fellowships sprang up in the surrounding region, and many more people found new life in Christ.
Leaving a Legacy
As Sima began his own journey in ministry, Pastor Pesach continued to faithfully and obediently share God’s love with his community. Not only did the church in his village grow, but as the years went on, at least 12 other fellowships sprang up in the surrounding region, and many more people found new life in Christ. Several other men and women from Pastor Pesach’s community, like Sima, are now serving as missionaries themselves. Through GFA World, they have been able to receive training and support to continue this chain reaction of life transformation in their communities.
Pastor Pesach has been ministering for about three decades now, and he’s left a life-changing legacy in Pastor Sima and other younger brothers and sisters. GFA World has made it possible for these men and women to hear about God’s love and now, as pastors and missionaries, share it with others. You can leave a legacy, too, by equipping national missionaries in Africa and Asia who are making Jesus’ name known among people who have yet to hear of the hope found only in Him.
