God's Worker
Train Trip
W. R. Beach, a retired secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, told the following story to illustrate the faith of a young man in Italy shortly after World War II.
“It was an afternoon praise meeting of an area-wide church session of the Italy Union Mission, held in Florence. It was a wonderful Sabbath afternoon. A young Christian book seller came forward and told his story:
He was canvassing In the Naples, Italy area. He heard from his field superintendent that he was to go to the Florence annual church meeting. He got his luggage ready and started out, traveling third class. The literature evangelists in Italy have always said, "We travel third class because there is no 4th class." All train travel in Italy is first, second, or third class. It was not easy in those days, and this literature evangelist, traveling third class, got to ride on the outside of the train. He hung on as best as he could all the way from Rome to Florence. At one stop, another man climbed up and hung on right next to him. As they rode on for many long hours, they engaged in conversation. “How far are you going?” asked the new hanger-on.
“Oh," he replied, "I'm going to attend a religious meeting.”
“What kind of a religious meeting?" the man asked again.
"A meeting of the Seventh-day Adventists.” he responded.
“Seventh-day Adventist!” said the new hanger-on in surprise. “I know a Seventh-day Adventist. I was in Bologna during the war, and we had, as you know, a frightful experience in that city. One of the great block-busting bombs fell and shattered a whole section of the city one night. The next morning, they found that in all that section, only one lone piece of wall was still standing. Up on one of the floors, a little kitchen was still clinging to the corner of the wall. In that kitchen was an old lady reading her Bible. She was a Seventh-day Adventist.
They must have a lot of faith!”
"Yes," agreed our young brother, "they do have a lot of faith. I’m a Seventh-day Adventist literature evangelist, and I have to have a lot of faith, too."
“A literature evangelist! What kind of work do you do?” queried the man.
“I sell books.” stated the literature evangelist.
“What kind of books?” the man curiously asked.
And as the colporteur said, “I’ll show you." he silently asked God to give him strength to hold on with one hand while he slowly and methodically pulled out his prospectus and canvassed the hanger-on. God did give him strength, and he secured an order, and as the hanger-on signed on the dotted line under those difficult circumstances, he said Seventh-day Adventists do have a lot of faith all right.”
Sometimes we think we have it hard, but really, we don’t. We live in a land of plenty but not for long. Why not share what we have because someday we will not be able to give.
In this time remember our Heavenly Father gave all. Thank you for your generous support to STR. Jesus said it will come back 100-fold.
George Dronen
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