After the birth of Jesus, an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds sometime during the night. The birth announcement delivered while the “glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9) was not about the baby’s gender, weight, length or parents’ names.
Instead, it was the most significant announcement ever given: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (v. 10).
And after the shepherds heard the news, they personally went to see and meet baby Jesus. Upon their return, they were “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (v. 20).
And do you think they kept the good news to themselves? I doubt it! The angel of the Lord told the shepherds, and the shepherds shared what they had experienced. And later, we learn that Anna the prophetess “spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (vv. 36–38).
This was the beginning of the “Go Tell Movement.”
And just like many people through the generations, members from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Moulton, Decatur Baptist in Decatur and Sulphur Springs Baptist in Hillsboro have taken part in the Go Tell Movement.
Remember Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18–20? For several years, members of these churches have been taking the Christmas story and the need for a Savior to an area surrounding Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Let’s go
The annual mission trip to the Dominican Republic began when Lee, Heather and their daughter, Bethany, were called to serve as missionaries from Decatur Baptist Church to the Caribbean islands nation. Faithfully, members from the three congregations have sent teams to serve in whatever way needed.
That is until the COVID-19 pandemic came sweeping through in 2020.
In 2021, a trip was planned once again for the annual November effort. This year it was Nov. 9–15, with nine individuals participating. Despite the odds, the trip went on as planned.
Sharing the Good News
Initially, team members went door-to-door with brochures inviting locals to a free medical clinic, where evangelism was a key component. Also, if and when an opportunity arose, they shared the gospel, in homes and on the streets.
Once an individual arrived at the medical clinic, they were asked to spend some time at the evangelism station. There, team members shared the good news of how Jesus loves them, what it means to know Christ as their Redeemer and Savior and how to have abundant life in daily following Him.
“The Dominican people are eager to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ,” one team member wrote in a Nov. 13 Facebook post. “When sharing with the [Pleasant Grove Baptist] Witnessing Warriors, you learn that many people in America are uninterested, don’t have time or aren’t ready to give up bad habits. It’s tough soil, but here, when we tell someone they can be 100% sure that they will go to Heaven when they die, they want to know how, and they want the giver of that gift — Jesus Christ! Praise JesuCristo for each individual that accepted Him in the last days and praise JesuCristo for the five souls that were baptized tonight. Praise His great name!”
Great joy
The team witnessed God at work and watched as He blessed the sharing of the gospel. In the three days the medical/evangelism clinic was open, 116 people came to Christ. The patients also were invited to attend church services in the evenings, during which they saw new believers baptized.
“This week, we met a boy named Franklin, who lived in a house near the medical/evangelism clinic,” a Witnessing Warriors post said. “Franklin, 12 years old, got saved while we were there. He was baptized two nights ago. Last night, November 14th, we planned to baptize again, and Franklin knew this was the last night to be there. He ran up to team member Lee, and asked if he could get his friend who needed to hear about Jesus. Lee said yes but told him to hurry as it was getting dark and we needed some light to baptize. Franklin sprinted to get his friend and brought him back. After Lee shared the gospel with him, Franklin’s friend received Jesus, and he was baptized five minutes after getting saved.
“That’s what it’s all about, folks. When is the last time we’ve been willing to run our hearts out to help a lost family member or friend to lead them to Jesus?”
Go, share, pray
Like the shepherds, the mission team returned to their homes with praise and wonder for all they heard, saw and experienced. They will continue to tell others, encouraging them to go, share and pray for the new believers to grow in Christ.
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