Teachers Give the Greatest Christmas Gift
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Teachers all over the world have used the holiday season as an opportunity to share their faith to their students, colleagues, and others!
Even during a pandemic year, the response has been incredibly encouraging. Below are a few highlights from two countries, Russia and Mongolia.
Russian teachers give their students Bibles
On the last day of Advent, many Russian teachers gave their students Bibles.
Says one teacher, “Praise the Lord! On Christmas Eve, the children again heard the story of the birth of the Savior, made a nativity scene, and received a children’s Bible as a gift.”
Other Russian teachers have held Christmas outreach events for their colleagues, where the gospel has been presented.
Reaching out to colleagues
Another teacher, Vera*, told us that she received permission from her students’ parents to give them Bibles.
Now Vera* and her students are studying the English text of the Bible together!
Natasha* has been praying for gospel opportunities since participating in a 6-week ISP program where she learned how to share the gospel with her colleagues.
“I prayed for one of my colleagues,” she explains. “God brought us closer [and in the process], I learned a lot about her. I gave her a Bible today. It turned out that she had dreamed of getting a Bible. She recognizes what a precious gift it is and said that she would definitely read it. [I] thank God for this wonderful project that is leading us on the right path.”
Celebrating Christmas at “the ends of the earth”
For more than 10 years, Nadia’s* church in the far ends of Russia has been traveling with evangelism and Christmas gifts to the tundra, where reindeer herders live.
During the holidays children go home to them from the boarding schools (where they study). For them, this is white, cold silence, – their native home, but for us – extreme.
“Our journey is not easy,” says Nadia. “From Salekhard we leave by car, then change to a sled then to an all-terrain vehicle, into the “ringing” silence.
And it doesn’t matter that it is -35 or -40 degrees of frost, because it’s Christmas and everyone should know about it, and then, when you see the happy eyes of children and adults, all the inconveniences and cold is forgotten, because we are carrying the most important gift – the message of our Savior.”
Sharing the gospel with nearly 3,000 mongolians
Due to COVID-19, Mongolian teachers developed a virtual holiday outreach strategy:
- Teachers and ministry staff sent short films and a Four Spiritual Laws video to 2,951 teachers and family members. Many recipients viewed both apps.
- 564 people responded to the materials sent.
- 206 conversations took place about Christmas and the gospel.
- 144 were people engaged in a personal presentation of the 4 Spiritual Laws.
- 58 received Christ!
Other Events in Mongolia:
- 28 teachers and staff shared their testimonies in Facebook and WhatsApp groups (and continue to do so). Probably thousands of teachers and friends are hearing the gospel through these means.
- The “Young Teachers” group hosted a party that 60 people attended, about half who were not believers. The party included a sharing of the gospel.
- 70 Core Teachers nationwide connected online for a Christmas party. The fellowship and thanksgiving encouraged many in their faith.
