Christmas
Island. A place I knew nothing about until this summer. Christmas island is a
small island off the Coast of Australia-an Island where a group of 25 people
went to visit this summer to share the good news of the gospel. I am blessed to
call one of those 25 people my friend and privileged to hear him speak about
this trip recently.
Christmas Island is considered
to be a third world country. It is hard for me to imagine a place where people
with so little material possessions and yet so much joy, but this is exactly
how it was described to me. It was
described as a place where the term “door-knocking” means going from hut to hut
and often knocking on anything but a door. It was described as a place of pure
poverty; yet it was described as a place where visitors are always welcomed. It
was described as a place where the answer to the question “Would you like to
study the Bible with me?” is always yes. It was described as a place of real
Christian persecution. A place where a man’s home was burned after he chose to
become a New Testament Christian.
This
was the description given to us, but this is not how I would define it. Christmas Island is a place of hope-a
place where the gospel is touching and changing lives. Christmas Island is a place
of perseverance. The man whose home was burned down is an active member in the
Lord’s church. Like Paul, this man is using his troubles and trials to further
the work of the Lord. Christmas Island is a place that is in my prayers,
because it is a home to my brothers and sisters in Christ. They are doing so
much good there and I look forward to the day I will get to meet them-even if
it is not on this side of heaven.